h  and  Arch  Street 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFOI 
AT    LOS  ANGELES 


pA*f 


'"PHE  edition  of  this  work  is 
limited  to  five  hundred 
copies,  of  which  this  is 
Number    i  I  0 


FRIENDS'  MEETING-HOUSE,  FOURTH  AND 
ARCH  STREETS 

Showing  the  west  side  and  grounds  during  the  Cen- 
tennial Anniversary.     Sixth  month 
fourth,  1904 

From  photograph  by  Charles  F.  Wood 


The  Friends'  Meeting-House 
Fourth  and  Arch  Streets 
Philadelphia 


A  Centennial  Celebration 
Sixth  Month  Fourth,  igo4 


Illustrated  by  numerous  interesting 
and  rare  portraits  and  pictures  of 
early  meeting-houses. 


The  John  C.  Winston  Company 

PHILADELPHIA  PENNSYLVANIA 


Prinred  and  Bound  at 
(Hipp  "  3nternutim.al  "  Stblp  £r„>BB 

Philadelphia 
The  John  C.  Winston  Company 


00 

so 


INTRODUCTION. 


BY  ISAAC  SHARPLESS. 


On  Sixth  month  4th,  1904,  there  met  in 
and  around  the  old  meeting-house  at  Fourth 
and  Arch  Streets, Philadelphia ,about  twenty- 
three  hundred  people  to  celebrate  the  one 
hundredth  anniversary  of  its  erection. 

The  chairman  of  the  committee  in  charge 
of  the  arrangements  was  Jonathan  Evans, 
whose  grandfather  of  the  same  name  was 
clerk  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  one  hundred 
years  before.  Meetings  were  held  in  both 
ends  of  the  house  in  the  afternoon  and 
evening,  and  papers  were  read,  which  papers 
are  here  collected.  Between  the  sessions  the 
Friends  indulged  in  social  intercourse  and 
partook  of  a  supper  in  a  tent  erected  on  the 
plot  to  the  south  of  the  house. 

[5] 


Introduction, 


An  interesting  feature  of  the  occasion  was 
an  exhibit  of  historical  pictures  from  the  col- 
lection of  George  Vaux,  embracing  those  of 
a  number  of  early  Friends'  meeting-houses 
(some  of  zvhich  were  water-colors) ,  and 
including  a  pen-and-ink  drawing  of  Fairhill 
Meeting-house  and  a  rough  pencil  sketch  of 
the  meeting-house  erected  by  the  followers 
of  George  Keith.  The  last  two  are  believed 
to  represent  the  tzvo  earliest  structures  of  the 
kind  of  which  pictures  have  been  preserved. 
There  was  also  a  colored  drawing  of  Arch 
Street,  zvest  from  Third  to  midway  between 
Fourth  and  Fifth  Streets,  showing  its 
appearance  at  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the 
oldest  part  of  the  meeting-house,  including 
the  residences  of  several  Friends'  families 
then  living  there.  In  addition  there  was  a 
water-color  painting  of  the  domicile  of 
another  Friend  ivho  resided  in  that  street. 
What  is  believed  to  be  the  earliest  ground- 


[61 


Introduction. 


plan  of  the  east  iving  of  Arch  Street  Meet- 
ing-house, together  with  an  elevation  show- 
ing the  building  as  it  zvas  afterwards  erected 
and  as  it  now  appears,  was  also  included  in 
the  exhibit.  In  addition  to  the  above  there 
was  shown  a  small  collection  of  portraits  of 
prominent  Friends  living  at  the  time  of  the 
erection  of  Arch  Street  Meeting-house. 

An  outcome  of  the  deliberations  which 
preceded  the  meeting  was  the  formation  of 
the  "Friends'  Historical  Society."  The  pur- 
pose of  this  movement  was  said  to  be  the 
preservation  of  letters  and  other  documents 
which  would  throw  light  on  the  history  and 
customs  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  the 
encouragement  of  historical  effort  by  its 
members.  It  is  proposed  to  hold  meetings 
for  the  reading  of  papers,  and  a  series  of 
publications  will  be  entered  into  if  sufficient 
good  material  is  presented.  The  present 
uolume  is  the  first  of  these  publications.   The 


[7l 


Introduction. 


portraits  and  other  illustrations  are  from  pic- 
tures loaned  for  the  purpose  by  George  Vaux 
and  Sarah  Emlen. 

It  is  well  occasionally  to  look  back  into 
the  past,  and  gather  up  the  standards  and 
principles  of  our  ancestors  in  the  faith.  It 
is  well  if  it  leads  us  to  reconsecrate  ourselves 
to  the  cause  for  zvhich  they  wrought — the 
pure  religion  of  Christ.  We  may  not  adopt 
all  their  methods;  the  testimonies  which  they 
upheld  may  in  part  be  replaced  by  others 
more  vital  to  our  day.  But  those  among  us 
zvho  see  beneath  the  surface  will  feel  no  dis- 
position to  build  on  any  other  groundwork 
than  theirs,  nor  to  adopt  modes  of  action 
essentially  out  of  harmony  ivith  their  prin- 
ciples. The  lack  of  historic  background, 
while  compatible  with  much  Christian  good- 
ness and  seal  and  openness  of  mind,  seems, 
ivhen  applied  to  congregations,  to  lead  to 
opportunism — the  selection  of  methods  die- 


[8] 


THE    GREATER   MEETING-HOUSE,  SOUTH- 
WEST CORNER  OF  MARKET 
AND  SECOND  STREETS 

With  Court   House   on   the   right    in  the    centre    of 
Market  Street.     From  an  early  water  color 


Introduction. 


fated  by  the  emergencies  of  the  present  and 
to  destroy  that  continuity  of  principle  so 
essential  to  the  preservation  of  the  type.  If 
the  spirit  and  motives  of  the  best  Friends  of 
the  past  were  known  and  read  of  all  of  its 
who  bear  the  name  of  Friend,  they  would  be 
interwoven  through  our  lives  as  through  the 
pages  of  prophecy  is  interwoven  "thus  saith 
the  Lord." 

This  fidelity  to  type  need  be  no  bar  to 
adaptation  to  condition  and  circumstance. 
With  our  confidence  in  the  ever-renewed 
teaching  of  God  we,  of  all  Christians,  ought 
to  be  open  to  new  methods. 

"  The  manna  gathered  yesterday 
Already  savors  of  decay," 

and  the  slavish  copy  of  the  good  deeds  of 
our  fathers,  the  slavish  subjection  to  their 
modes  of  thought  and  expression,  are  no  nec- 
essary part  of  Quakerism.  If  we  approach 
the  history  of  the  times  of  old,  with  pro- 

[9] 


Introduction, 


found  devotion  for  the  solid  characters  and 
enduring  principles  which  dominated  them, 
and  with  the  unselfish  resolve  to  build  the 
same  characters  and  apply  the  same  princi- 
ples by  the  most  efficient  means  in  these 
times,  for  which  we  are  responsible,  we  shall 
learn  the  lesson  of  our  history. 

As  a  little  contribution  towards  this  end 
these  papers  are  offered  to  the  public  by  the 
FRIENDS'  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


[10] 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Introduction 5 

Isaac  Sharpless. 

Early  Friends'  Meeting-Houses  and  Their 
Relation    to    the    Building    at    Arch 

and  Fourth  Streets 15 

George  Vaux. 

Some     Philadelphia     Friends     a    Century 

Ago 43 

Susanna  Kite. 

Poem 81 

Francis  B.  Gummere. 

Social    Life  of    Yearly    Meeting  Week — 

Past  and  Present 85 

Frances  Tatum  Rhoads. 

The  Condition  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  in 

1804 "3 

Isaac  Sharpless. 

[11] 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

Friends'  Meeting-House.  The  Centen- 
nial Celebration,  Sixth  Month  4th, 
1904 Frontispiece 

The  Greater   Meeting-House,  Southwest 

Corner  Market  and  Second  Streets,  9 

The   Old   Bank   Meeting-House 17 

Pine  Street    Meeting-House,   1753      ...  21 

Friends' Fairhill  Meeting-House,  1722  .  24 

Septimus  Roberts.                     29 

Original  Architect's  Plans,  Showing  Ele- 
vation of  Meeting-House 33 

George  Williams.     1766-1850 41 

Nicholas  Waln.     1741-1813       45 

Meeting-House,    East     Side    of     Fourth 

Street,  South  of  Chestnut 49 

Samuel  Sansom.     1738-1824 57 

Richard  Jordan.     1756-1826      65 

James  Pemberton.     1723-1809 60 

George  Dillwyn.      1738-1820 73 

Catherine  W.  Morris.      1772-1859  ....  77 


[13 


Illustrations. 


PAGE 

Arch  Street  Meeting-House,  1904  ....  81 

Arch  Street,  West  from  Third  Street    .  89 

Samuel  Smith 93 

Rebecca  Jones.     1739-1814 97 

William  Savery.     1750-1804 97 

The  Bee-Hive  Bonnet 101 

Residence  of  a  Friend  on  Arch  Street.    .  105 

Jonathan  Evans.     1759-1839 113 

Samuel  Emlen,  Sr.     1 730-1 799 121 

Israel  W.  Morris.     1778-1870 125 

Robert  Proud 129 

Thomas  Scattergood.     1748-1814     ....  137 


[14] 


EARLY    FRIENDS'    MEETING-HOUSES 

AND  THEIR  RELATION  TO  THE 

BUILDING  AT  ARCH  AND 

FOURTH  STREETS. 


BY    GEORGE   VAUX. 


In  preparing  a  paper  appropriate  to  the 
celebration  of  the  one  hundredth  anniversary 
of  the  erection  of  Arch  Street  Meeting- 
house, it  seems  to  be  suitable  to  refer  to  the 
several  houses  which  antedated  it,  as  well 
as  to  others  occupied  by  Friends  for  meeting 
purposes.  In  the  first  instance  it  was 
inevitable  that  the  immigrants  should  resort 
to  dwelling-houses,  and  perhaps  to  struc- 
tures erected  for  store-houses,  to  hold  meet- 
ings in  until  some  more  suitable  place  could 
be  provided. 

The  earliest  building  in  Philadelphia 
erected  by  Friends  especially  as  a  place  for 
public  worship  was  the  first  Bank  Meeting, 

[15] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

or,  as  it  was  sometimes  called  in  the  early 
records,  "the  Meeting  on  Delaware  Side." 
It  was  built  late  in  1683  or  early  in  1684, 
and  was  located  on  the  west  side  of  Front 
Street,  about  sixty  feet  north  of  Arch  Street. 
It  was  of  wood  and  must  have  been  of  a 
temporary  character,  and  it  may  have  been 
the  same  building  described  in  the  minutes 
as  the  "boarded  meeting-house,"  and  if  so 
the  first  General  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania 
met  there.  It  was  probably  the  scene  of 
many  of  the  exciting  incidents  connected 
with  George  Keith's  separation.  It  is  cer- 
tain that  on  one  occasion  Robert  Turner 
(who  lived  about  one  hundred  yards  away), 
a  disciple  of  Keith,  with  one  or  more  of  his 
followers,  entered  the  meeting-house  and 
demolished  the  ministers'  gallery.  He  was 
visited  by  Friends  on  account  of  his  violent 
and  disorderly  action,  but  gave  them  no  sat- 
isfaction, but  stated  that  he  always  had  a 
testimony  against  ministers'  galleries,  and 
that  he  was  well  satisfied  with  what  he  had 
done. 


[16 


THE  OLD  BANK  MEETING-HOUSE 
This  building  was  pulled  down  about  1790 


- 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

In  1698  the  first  Bank  Meeting-house  had 
so  far  gone  to  decay  that  it  was  in  danger  of 
falling,  and  it  was  taken  down.  For  some 
years  afterward  the  lot  remained  vacant. 

The  meeting-house  at  Centre  Square  was 
commenced  in  1685,  ancl  was  located  ap- 
proximately where  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  City  Hall,  at  Broad  and  Market  Streets, 
now  stands.  The  procuring  of  mechanics  to 
build,  and  of  money  to  pay  for  the  erection, 
severely  taxed  the  resources  of  the  colonists, 
but  the  structure  was  finally  so  far  completed 
in  1689  that  meetings  could  be  held  in  it.  It 
soon  became  apparent,  however,  that  the 
building  was  so  remote  from  the  population, 
that  Friends  generally  could  not  be  induced 
to  attend  there,  and  it  is  evident  that  the 
project  was  a  failure. 

In  1700  the  building  was  considered  to  be 
useless  for  meeting  purposes,  and  it  was  sold 
to  William  Penn,  who  was  then  in  the  coun- 
try, for  one  hundred  pounds;  but  Friends 
soon  after,  whilst  glad  to  have  the  money, 
were  sorry  that  they  had  not  the  house,  and 

2  [  17  ] 


Arch   Street   Meeting-House. 

induced  William  Penn  to  give  it  back  to  them 
without  consideration.  Not  long  after,  the 
building  was  pulled  down  and  the  materials 
removed  to  the  Bank  lot,  where  the  house 
was  again  erected,  it  is  believed,  substantially 
as  it  was  at  Centre  Square.  It  thus  became 
the  Second  Bank  Meeting,  and  it  may  be 
assumed  that  the  pictures  which  we  now  have 
of  that  structure  give  us  a  fair  idea  of  the 
appearance  of  both  buildings. 

The  Second  Bank  Meeting  was  removed 
in  1790  and  the  premises  sold.  In  its  place 
what  was  called  North  Meeting  was  erected 
in  Key's  Alley,  east  of  Second  Street  ( Key's 
Alley  was  just  south  of  Vine  Street),  partly 
on  a  lot  which  had  been  given  to  Friends 
by  George  Fox.  That  structure  continued 
in  use  until  the  new  meeting-house  at  Sixth 
and  Noble  Streets  was  completed.  I  remem- 
ber being  in  the  old  meeting-house  when  a 
child  and  have  a  distinct  recollection  of  the 
general  appearance  of  the  interior,  though 
not  sufficient  to  describe  it  in  detail.  The 
property  was  sold  to  the  city  of  Philadelphia 

[18] 


A  Centennial   Celebration. 


for  a  public  school-house,  and  the  building 
was  ultimately  destroyed  in  the  great  fire 
of  1850.  The  last  meeting  in  Key's  Alley 
appears  to  have  been  held  on  Third-day, 
Eighth  month  7,  1838.  The  new  North 
Meeting  at  Sixth  and  Noble  Streets  was 
built  in  1837,  and  the  first  meeting  for  wor- 
ship was  held  there  Eighth  month  12,  1838, 
and  the  first  Monthly  Meeting,  Eighth 
month  28,  of  the  same  year.  It  was  some- 
times called  St.  Isaac's,  from  Isaac  R.  Davis, 
a  member  of  the  meeting  who  had  taken  an 
active  part  in  its  erection. 

In  1693  Friends  purchased  a  lot  of  ground 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  Market  and  Sec- 
ond Streets  as  a  site  for  another  meeting- 
house. The  title  to  this  ground  was  after- 
wards found  to  be  defective,  being  only  that 
of  a  squatter,  which  occasioned  a  good  deal 
of  uneasiness  in  the  minds  of  Friends,  but 
subsequently  a  quit-claim  deed  was  obtained 
for  a  moderate  consideration.  Upon  this  lot 
in  the  Twelfth  month  of  1695  the  erection 
of   the   "Great   Meeting-house"    was   com- 

[19] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

menced,  and  it  was  so  far  completed  in  the 
Sixth  month,  1696,  that  meetings  were  held 
in  it.  The  architect  of  this  building  was 
Thomas  Jaques,a  French  Huguenot,  engaged 
in  architecture,  who  seems  to  have  brought 
his  ideas  of  building  from  France.  The 
character  and  appearance  of  the  building  are 
unknown,  as  it  is  believed  no  picture  of  it 
is  in  existence,  and  the  descriptions  in  the 
minutes  are  wholly  inadequate  to  give  any 
idea  of  what  it  looked  like. 

In  1755  the  "Great  Meeting-house"  was 
pulled  down  to  make  way  for  the  "Greater 
Meeting-house,"  which  was  erected  on  the 
same  site.  Of  this  structure  we  have  several 
authentic  pictures  giving  an  excellent  idea  of 
its  appearance,  which  was  not  greatly  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  present  Twelfth 
Street  Meeting-house,  erected  in  18 12, 
largely  with  the  materials  from  the  "Greater 
Meeting-house"  which  had  then  been  pulled 
down. 

The  Hill  Meeting,  so  called  from  its  erec- 
tion on  or  near  Society  Hill,  was  located  on 

[20] 


PINE    STREET    MEETING-HOUSE,    BUILT    1 753. 


[21] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

the  south  side  of  Pine  Street,  east  of  Second. 
The  principal  part  of  the  site  was  bequeathed 
to  Friends  by  the  younger  Samuel  Powell, 
who  died  in  1747.  The  building  was  so  far 
completed  in  1753  that  the  Yearly  Meeting 
was  held  in  it  in  the  Ninth  month  of  that 
year.  The  holding  of  meetings  there  was 
discontinued  soon  after  the  erection  of  the 
present  Orange  Street  Meeting-house  in 
1832,  and  an  attempt  was  made  to  sell  the 
ground,  which  failed,  owing  to  a  claim  to  it 
made  by  the  heirs  of  Samuel  Powell,  Jr., 
who  originally  bequeathed  it  to  Friends, 
which  claim  was,  however,  disallowed  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania  by  a  decision 
handed  down  in  1851.  The  property  was 
sold  several  years  later,  quite  within  the 
memory  of  some  now  living.  We  have 
authentic  pictures  of  this  meeting-house. 

The  Fourth  Street  Meeting-house  was 
located  on  the  east  side  of  Fourth  Street, 
just  south  of  Chestnut,  on  the  property 
belonging  to  the  Forrest  Trust.  The  Cen- 
tral National  Bank,  a  part  of  the  office  build- 

[22] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

ing  of  the  Trust,  now  stands  on  the  former 
site  of  the  meeting-house.  It  was  built  in 
1763,  with  the  object  of  providing  a  more 
convenient  place  for  business  meetings,  and 
also  to  accommodate  the  Quarterly  Youths' 
Meetings,  which  Friends  then  had  a  concern 
to  hold  for  the  benefit  of  the  scholars  attend- 
ing the  adjoining  school.  The  building  was 
placed  with  its  broadside  on  Fourth  Street, 
and  with  its  gables  facing  north  and  south. 
It  was  finally  removed  in  1859,  when  the 
present  building  was  erected. 

Whilst  Fairhill  Meeting,  strictly  speaking, 
was  not  a  city  meeting,  yet  it  was  so  closely 
associated  with  them  that  this  paper  would 
not  be  complete  without  some  reference  to  it. 
George  Fox  had  given  a  small  plot  at  Fairhill 
to  Friends,  and  it  was  somewhat  increased 
in  size  by  purchases  of  adjoining  land.  This 
plot  was  on  Germantown  Road,  now  Ger- 
mantown  Avenue,  near  Cambria  Street. 
Here  was  early  built  the  small  structure 
known  as  Fairhill  Meeting-house.  It  must 
have  been  erected  prior  to  1700,  but  I  am 

[23] 


[24] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

unable  to  give  the  date.  I  have  a  picture  of 
it  as  it  appeared  in  1 722,  and  it  was  removed 
comparatively  recently,  being  in  the  line  of 
one  of  the  streets.  If  anyone  knows  of  a 
photograph  of  it,  I  shall  be  glad  to  be 
informed  of  the  fact. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  circumstances  connected  with  the 
acquisition  of  the  estate  at  Arch  and  Fourth 
Streets,  and  the  erection  of  the  buildings 
thereon.  It  came  into  possession  of  the 
Society  in  1693-94.  Of  course  before  that 
date  there  was  a  burial  place,  and  it  was 
probably  within  the  limits  of  this  site,  but  it 
cannot  be  said  with  certainty  that  such  was 
the  case.  The  plot  is  L-shaped  and  con- 
tains about  two  and  one-third  acres.  There 
are  two  small  private  graveyards  adjoining. 
One  of  them,  the  Say  Burial  Ground,  which 
is  located  exactly  in  the  angle  of  the  L,  is 
about  forty  feet  square,  and  is  surrounded 
by  a  high  brick  wall.  The  other,  known  as 
the  Fox  or  Jones  Graveyard,  lies  to  the  east 
of  the  Say  Ground,  but  does  not  adjoin  it. 

[25] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

It  is  only  about  seventeen  feet  square,  and 
is  also  closely  walled.  The  access  to  both 
of  these  burial  places  is  by  a  private  alley 
running  west  from  Third  Street. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  west 
end  of  one  of  the  lots  on  Third  Street  was 
also  used  as  a  private  burial  ground,  as  there 
is  a  monument  there  consisting  of  a  marble 
slab,  about  six  feet  by  two  and  a  half  feet, 
upon  which  are  recorded  the  name  and  date 
of  decease  of  a  person  who  died  in  the  early 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

Although  Friends  came  into  possession  of 
the  property  at  the  date  above  mentioned,  it 
was  not  until  William  Penn  arrived  in  Phila- 
delphia on  his  second  visit  that  he  confirmed 
his  previous  gift  and  the  title  was  perfected. 

On  the  "first  day  of  October,"  1701,  Wil- 
liam Penn  issued  his  patent  over  his  own 
signature,  and  with  his  great  seal  attached, 
by  which  the  estate  was  conveyed  to  Edward 
Shippen  and  Samuel  Carpenter  in  trust  for 
Philadelphia  Friends.  This  patent  contains 
the  following  words : 

[26] 


A  Centennial   Celebration. 

"To  the  use  and  behoof  of  the  people  called 
Quakers,  in  Philadelphia,  with  whom  I  am 
now  in  communion,  and  who  are  and  shall 
be  in  union  and  fellowship  with  the  Yearly- 
Meeting  of  the  said  people  at  London,  for  a 
burying  place." 

There  has  been  considerable  speculation 
as  to  the  meaning  of  this  clause  and  the 
reasons  for  introducing  it.  A  little  consid- 
eration of  the  circumstances  of  the  time, 
however,  will  make  it  clear  what  William 
Penn's  design  was  in  placing  this  limitation 
upon  the  grant. 

George  Keith  had  occasioned  a  separation 
among  Friends  in  1691,  as  heretofore  men- 
tioned, and  his  followers  set  up  a  separate 
meeting,  which  claimed  to  be  a  meeting  of 
Friends.  This  organization  in  the  early 
part  of  the  following  year  issued  a  number 
of  documents  in  defense  of  its  action,  includ- 
ing a  "Confession  of  Faith,"  and  a  few 
months  afterwards  what  it  called  the  second 
edition  of  the  same  work.  A  year  or  two 
after  this,  Keith  returned  to  England  and 

[27] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

appealed  to  London  Friends  to  vindicate  him 
in  his  action.  He  did  not  succeed  in  this 
effort,  and  in  1695  was  disowned  by  Lon- 
don Friends.  Failing  to  obtain  any  follow- 
ing in  England,  within  a  few  years  he 
renounced  all  claims  to  being  a  Friend  and 
hired  himself  out  to  the  Episcopalians  to 
abuse  the  Quakers.  The  separate  meeting 
in  Philadelphia  was  continued,  however,  and 
although  the  disintegration  soon  began  the 
organization  survived  for  some  years,  hav- 
ing its  meeting-house  on  the  west  side  of 
Second  Street,  a  little  south  of  Arch  Street. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  William  Penn's 
design  was  to  have  the  grant  for  the  Arch 
and  Fourth  Streets  lot  in  such  form  that  the 
Keithean  Quakers  could  have  no  claim  to  it. 
The  whole  plot  at  Arch  and  Fourth  Streets 
has  been  used  as  a  burying  ground;  much 
of  it  has  had  two  layers  of  graves  placed  in 
it,  and  some  parts  even  three.  The  remains 
of  the  worthies  of  more  than  a  century  lie 
within  the  enclosure  which  has  suggested  the 
name    of    the    Westminster    Abbey    of   the 

[28] 


SEPTIMUS  ROBERTS 
A  young  Friend  in  1807  and  aged  18 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

Society  of  Friends.  The  number  of  inter- 
ments has  been  variously  estimated,  and 
some  have  guessed  as  high  as  twenty  thou- 
sand; but  the  question  is  one  of  pure  specu- 
lation, as  many  were  buried  there  besides 
Friends,  and  the  names  of  these  do  not 
appear  to  have  been  included  in  the  imperfect 
records  kept  by  the  Meeting.  Many  such 
were  interred  during  the  yellow  fever  visita- 
tion of  1793.  In  the  erection  of  buildings  on 
the  plot  extensive  evidences  of  burials  were 
disclosed.  Many  gravestones  have  been 
placed  in  the  ground  at  early  periods,  some 
of  which  have  been  discovered  from  time 
to  time  when  digging  was  necessary. 

At  the  Monthly  Meeting  held  in  Fifth 
month,  1738,  the  question  of  the  erection  of 
a  meeting-house  on  the  burial  ground  at 
Arch  and  Fourth  Streets  was  first  suggested, 
and  that  location  was  then  definitely  settled 
upon.  A  subscription  was  started  to  pay  for 
such  a  building,  to  which  Friends  in  Barba- 
does  contributed  fifty  pounds.  The  erec- 
tion of  such  a  meeting-house  was  before  the 

[29] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

meeting  for  several  years,  but  was  finally 
abandoned  and  does  not  appear  to  have  re- 
ceived serious  consideration  again  until  1795. 
To  account  for  this  the  following  reasons 
may  be  assigned.  The  gift  of  Samuel  Powell, 
Jr.,  of  the  lot  on  Pine  Street  required  that 
a  meeting-house  should  be  erected  there. 
The  Fourth  Street  Meeting-house  had  been 
built  and  the  "Great  Meeting-house"  at  Mar- 
ket and  Second  Streets  had  been  removed 
and  replaced  by  the  "Greater  Meeting-house" 
on  the  same  site.  The  Bank  Meeting  had  dis- 
appeared, and  the  commodious  meeting-house 
on  Key's  Alley,  known  as  the  North  Meet- 
ing, already  alluded  to,  had  taken  its  place. 
There  had  thus  been  a  gradual  increase  of 
meeting-house  accommodations,  which  prob- 
ably kept  pace  with  the  growing  number  of 
Friends,  and  were  sufficient  without  an  addi- 
tional structure  at  Arch  and  Fourth  Streets. 
It  must  have  become  apparent,  however,  in 
1795  that  with  the  great  increase  of  the 
number  of  Friends  in  the  city,  these  accom- 
modations were  insufficient.     Also  that  the 

[30] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

inconveniences  of  holding  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing of  Women  Friends  remote  from  the 
building  where  the  men  convened,  as  had 
been  the  case,  had  become  a  serious  question, 
and  one  that  could  not  much  longer  be  set 
aside,  and  it  was  then  decided  to  take  the 
preliminary  steps  necessary  to  carry  out  the 
plan  which  had  been  suggested  in  1738.  The 
following  year  the  meeting  directed  that  a 
plot  in  the  burial  ground  should  be  staked 
out  as  the  site  of  the  building,  and  that  no 
more  interments  should  be  permitted  within 
its  limits.  The  plot  so  staked  out  was  two 
hundred  feet  long,  east  and  west,  and  one 
hundred  feet  wide,  north  and  south.  Active 
steps  appear  to  have  been  taken  in  the  year 
1800  to  prepare  for  the  erection  of  the  centre 
building  and  east  wing  of  the  present  struc- 
ture. There  is  in  my  hands  what  was  prob- 
ably the  earliest  plan  for  the  building,  which 
seems  to  have  been  prepared  by  Owen  Biddle 
in  that  year.  It  shows  the  ground-plan  of 
the  centre  building  and  east  wing,  substan- 
tially as  now  erected,  but  no  indications  of 

[31] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

youths'  galleries  are  found  except  at  the 
north  end.  The  west  wing  is  shown  by  lead- 
pencil  lines,  apparently  put  in  later.  There 
is  also  an  elevation  showing  the  exterior  of 
the  whole  building,  almost  exactly  as  we  now 
see  it. 

Early  in  1803  preparations  were  made  for 
commencing  the  building.  The  foundations 
were  laid  in  that  year,  and  the  structure  was 
proceeded  with  in  1804.  It  was  completed 
early  in  1805.  The  first  meeting  held  in  it 
was  the  Women's  Yearly  Meeting,  which 
convened  there  Fourth  month  15,  1805.  A 
careful  count  made  at  the  time  showed  that 
between  sixteen  and  seventeen  hundred 
women  Friends  entered  the  meeting-room, 
and  the  crowd  was  so  great  that  some  went 
away. 

The  western  wing  was  a  later  construc- 
tion, though  evidently  a  part  of  the  original 
design.  It  is  perhaps  somewhat  more  com- 
modious than  the  eastern  wing,  and  better 
arranged,  showing  the  results  of  the  experi- 
ence obtained  in  the  meantime.     It  was  first 

[32] 


REPRODUCTION  OF  WHAT  IS  SUPPOSED 
TO  BE  THE  ARCHITECT'S  ORIGINAL 
PLAN  OF  ELEVATIO N  OF  ARCH 
STREET  MEETING-HOUSE,  DATED 
EITHER   1 80 1   or    1803 

The  center  building  and  east  wing  were  built  in  1804 

and  the  west  wing  added  in  181 1.      The 

Original  belongs  to  George  Vaux 


r  of 


1  ayto^xi  <>\  ^^^^.Jh<i  Unug'nO 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

occupied  in  1811,  when  the  Women's  Yearly 
Meeting  convened  there  on  the  morning  of 
Third-day,  the  16th  of  Fourth  month,  hav- 
ing the  day  before  been  held  in  the  east  wing. 
On  Second-day  morning  the  Men's  Meeting 
had  convened  in  the  Key's  Alley  Meeting- 
house, where  it  had  long  been  held,  and 
adjourned  to  meet  in  the  east  wing  at  Arch 
Street,  on  Third-day,  Fourth  month  16th,  so 
that  on  that  date  the  whole  structure  was 
occupied  for  the  first  time  by  the  Yearly 
Meeting. 

The  whole  length  of  Arch  Street  Meeting- 
house, from  east  to  west  as  we  now  see  it, 
is  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet.  The  two 
large  meeting-rooms  are  eighty-five  feet 
each,  from  north  to  south.  The  centre 
building  is  fifty-five  feet  from  north  to  south. 
The  structure  thus  embraces  within  the 
limits  of  the  two  large  meeting-rooms  and 
the  centre  building,  ground  of  the  area  of 
considerably  over  a  quarter  of  an  acre,  and 
is  believed  to  be  the  largest  meeting-house 
accommodations  occupied  by  Friends  in  any 

3  [33  1 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

city  in  the  world.  If  the  descriptions  of  the 
Devonshire  House  Estate  in  London,  where 
London  Yearly  Meeting  is  held,  are  correctly 
understood,  it  covers  an  area  almost  as  great 
as  all  the  ground  owned  by  Friends  there, 
upon  parts  of  which  are  erected  many  other 
buildings  besides  the  meeting-houses. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  some  of  my 
personal  recollections  as  to  the  neighborhood 
of  Arch  Street  Meeting  might  be  interesting. 

I  was  born  in  1832,  on  the  north  side  of 
Arch  Street,  a  few  doors  above  Fourth, 
almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  meeting- 
house, which  was  the  most  prominent  object 
in  view  from  our  front  windows,  and  I 
lived  there  till  after  I  was  twenty-two  years 
old.  My  earliest  recollection  relative  to 
meeting  affairs  was  the  visitation  of  Joseph 
John  Gurney  to  Friends'  families  in  Phila- 
delphia, which  was  in  the  Second  or  Third 
month  of  1838.  I  distinctly  remember  his 
visit  to  our  family,  and  as  I  write  can  see 
him  sitting  at  my  mother's  fireside  in  the 
very  chair  on  which  he  sat  when  he  picked 

[34] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

me  up  and  placed  me  on  his  knee.  My  gen- 
eral recollection,  however,  begins  about  1839, 
when  I  was  seven  years  old.  Our  neighbor- 
hood was  then  a  quiet  residential  district. 
Many  Friends  lived  on  Arch  Street,  on 
Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth  and  Seventh  Streets. 
Of  course  there  were  no  street-cars,  not  even 
an  omnibus  line,  only  one  of  which,  or  at 
most  two,  then  existed  in  the  city.  The 
travel  on  the  street  of  any  kind  of  vehicles 
was  not  much  more  than  occasional.  There 
was  a  fine  row  of  linden  trees  on  the  north 
side  of  Arch  between  Fourth  and  Fifth 
Streets  which  was  ultimately  destroyed  by 
the  devastation  of  the  measuring  worm.  A 
single  whale-oil  lamp  hung  on  a  wooden  post 
was  located  close  to  our  residence,  and  was 
all  that  lighted  the  spot  at  night.  The  old- 
time  watchman  with  his  ladder  and  flaming 
torch  could  still  be  seen  in  the  streets,  and 
even  the  watchman's  midnight  cry  had  not 
entirely  ceased.  On  summer  evenings  the 
older  children  sat  on  the  front  doorsteps  and 
talked  with  their  friends,  and  the  younger 

[3Sl 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

ones  romped  and  played  on  the  pavements. 
Meetings  were  held  in  the  western  wing 
of  the  meeting-house  both  on  First-day 
mornings  and  afternoons,  as  well  as  in  the 
middle  of  the  week.  In  the  morning  the 
main  floor  of  the  building  was  well  filled 
both  on  the  men's  and  women's  sides,  and 
even  the  afternoon  meetings,  though  smaller, 
were  fairly  well  attended.  At  the  head  of 
the  meeting  was  Thomas  Kite,  dressed  in 
brown  with  knee  breeches.  At  his  side  was 
the  elder  Samuel  Bettle,  who  continued  with 
us  until  the  early  sixties,  and  is  no  doubt 
remembered  by  many.  Next  to  him  was 
Thomas  Stewardson,  an  elder,  a  veritable 
Quaker  of  the  olden  time,  clad  in  a  full  suit 
of  drab,  with  knee  breeches  and  silver 
buckles  on  his  shoes,  probably  at  his  knees 
also,  but  of  this  I  am  not  sure.  He  wore 
a  black  hat  of  prodigious  size,  and  when 
persons  appeared  in  supplication  he  would 
stand  holding  his  hat  over  his  face.  He 
died  in  1841.  Beside  him  was  Caleb  Pierce, 
also  an  elder,  quite  a  contrast  both  in  appear- 

[36] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

ance  and  character  to  the  aged  veteran  next 
to  him. 

At  the  head  of  the  second  gallery  was 
George  Williams,  a  tall  thin  Friend,  dressed 
in  brown.  Next  to  him,  much  shorter  in 
stature,  sat  Benjamin  Albertson,  and  beside 
him  Nathan  Kite,  still  shorter  in  stature  and 
very  broad,  giving  him  a  comical  appear- 
ance, which  provoked  a  nickname  that  I  for- 
bear to  mention.  Caleb  H.  Canby  and  Wil- 
liam Hodgson,  Jr.,  I  think,  were  the  only 
other  Friends  that  sat  on  that  seat.  I  well 
remember  when  Benjamin  Albertson  and 
Nathan  Kite  were  appointed  elders,  and 
removed  their  seats  into  the  top  gallery. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  remaining  seat 
facing  the  meeting  sat  Isaac  R.  Davis,  a  very 
fat  man,  who  had  recently  brought  his  cer- 
tificate from  Northern  District,  and  on  the 
same  bench  John  McCollin  and  Abraham 
Haines. 

At  the  head  of  the  women's  gallery  was, 
I  think,  Elizabeth  Mason,  a  minister  who 
rarely  appeared  in  her  own  meeting,  but  was 

[37] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

said  to  preach  at  some  length  when  visiting 
other  meetings.  Next  to  her  was  the  sainted 
Catharine  W.  Morris,  an  elder,  and  for  some 
time  clerk  of  the  Women's  Yearly  Meeting. 
Born  in  high  life  and  with  social  surround- 
ings of  the  most  attractive  character,  she 
early  renounced  the  world  to  bear  the  banner 
of  the  cross.  She  lived  till  1859,  and  was 
buried  at  the  rear  of  the  meeting-house,  her 
body  being  carried  from  her  house  to  the 
grave  on  a  bier  by  a  number  of  young  men, 
the  last  funeral  of  its  kind  among  Friends  in 
Philadelphia.  I  think  that  Jane  Pierce,  also 
an  elder,  wife  of  Caleb,  sat  on  the  same  bench. 
The  second  gallery  was  filled  throughout 
its  whole  length,  but  I  can  recall  the  name 
of  only  one,  and  she  sat  at  the  lower  end. 
This  was  Hannah  Logan  Smith,  who  occa- 
sionally had  a  brief  communication  to  make 
to  the  meeting.  She  would  rise  to  her  feet, 
remove  her  bonnet  and  hang  it  on  the  end 
of  the  gallery  rail  in  front  of  her,  and  then 
deliver  her  message.  When  finished  she 
would  replace  her  bonnet  and  take  her  seat. 

[38] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

Meetings  were  sometimes  held  on  First- 
day  evenings  by  agreement  between  the  four 
Monthly  Meetings.  The  meeting-house  was 
then  lighted  with  oil  lamps  hung  on  the 
posts  and  on  the  walls  between  the  windows. 
After  some  years  gas  was  introduced.  These 
evening  meetings  were  largely  attended,  the 
room  being  often  filled  not  only  on  the  main 
floor,  but  many  seats  occupied  in  the  youths' 
galleries.  Friends  generally  from  all  parts 
of  the  city  attended.  The  North  Meeting 
Friends  would  come  down  past  our  house  in 
squads  of  eight  and  ten  at  a  time,  closely 
following  one  another.  William  Evans  and 
his  wife  Elizabeth  generally  came  up  from 
Orange  Street,  and  were  often  engaged  in 
the  ministry,  both  being  forcible  and  effective 
speakers. 

I  will  now  close  this  paper  with  a  brief 
reference  to  West  Philadelphia  Meeting- 
house, at  Powelton  Avenue  and  Forty-second 
Street,  which  is  the  youngest  of  all. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  last  century  Wil- 
liam Hamilton  owned  a  considerable  body 

[39] 


Arch   Street   Meeting-House. 

of  land  in  West  Philadelphia.  There  he  laid 
out  what  he  called  Hamilton  Village,  and 
for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  the  sale  of 
the  lots  he  donated  plots  of  ground  to  various 
religious  denominations  as  sites  for  meeting- 
houses. Among  these  Friends  were  in- 
cluded. The  lot  given  to  Friends  was  on  the 
north  side  of  Chestnut  Street,  I  think, 
between  Fortieth  and  Forty-first  Streets,  but 
it  may  have  been  further  east.  No  meeting- 
house, however,  was  ever  built  there.  This 
lot  greatly  improved  in  value  and  to  such  an 
extent  that  it  was  thought,  in  the  sixties, 
were  it  sold  the  proceeds  would  be  sufficient 
to  purchase  another  lot  in  a  less  expensive 
neighborhood  and  erect  a  meeting-house 
upon  it.  It  was  also  apparent  that  the 
Chestnut  Street  lot  was  very  unsuitable  for 
the  purpose,  being  next  to  an  edifice  built 
by  another  religious  denomination.  It  was 
decided  to  dispose  of  the  lot,  but  it  being 
supposed  that  this  could  only  be  done  by 
order  of  the  court,  application  was  made  to 
the   Common   Pleas    for   authority   to   sell. 

[40] 


GEORGE  WILLIAMS 

1766-1850. 

Front  a  silhouette  in  the  possession  of  Sarah  Etnlen 


- 


. 


. 


to   sell. 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 


The  court  referred  the  case  to  Joseph  A. 
Clay,  Esq.,  as  Master,  who  was  a  gentleman 
of  high  character  and  a  leading  lawyer,  also 
a  personal  friend  of  my  own.  He  courte- 
ously showed  me  his  Master's  report  recom- 
mending the  sale,  and  one  of  the  chief  points 
which  he  referred  to  as  ground  for  authoriz- 
ing it  was  that  the  noise  occasioned  by  the 
music  and  other  ritual  in  the  adjoining  place 
of  worship  belonging  to  another  denomina- 
tion, rendered  the  site  unsuitable  for  a  meet- 
ing-house for  a  denomination  whose  worship 
was  largely  devotional  silence,  thus  showing 
his  appreciation  of  the  character  of  our 
method.  The  court  ordered  the  sale,  which 
was  consummated,  and  the  present  location 
with  its  grove  of  ancient  oaks,  probably  the 
most  attractive  of  any  of  our  meeting-house 
sites  in  Philadelphia,  was  purchased  to  take 
its  place.  Several  years  afterward,  in  1873, 
the  present  meeting-house  was  erected, 
which,  as  Friends  already  know,  has  been 
greatly  enlarged  and  improved  in  the  past 
year. 

[4i] 


SOME  PHILADELPHIA  FRIENDS 
A  CENTURY  AGO. 


BY  SUSANNA  S.  KITE. 


In  looking  over  the  annals  of  Philadelphia 
Yearly  Meeting  a  century  ago,  we  are 
impressed  with  the  number  of  remarkable 
people  that  were  active  in  the  Society  at  that 
time — people  of  marked  personality  and  per- 
haps of  some  we  might  say  peculiarity — 
who  walked  among  their  fellowmen  without 
fear  or  favor  doing  their  Master's  bidding, 
in  many  cases  enduring  hardness  as  good 
soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  their  religious 
visits  to  distant  parts  even  delicate  women 
often  rode  hundreds  of  miles  on  horseback, 
and  encountered  many  perils  both  by  land 
and  by  sea,  so  that  it  seems  fitting  for  us 
at  the  present  day  to  bring  them  to  our 
remembrance.     It    is    to    a    few    of    these 

[43l 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

worthies  that  I  wish  to  introduce  you  this 
afternoon. 

It  was  for  many  years  common  within 
the  limits  of  Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting 
to  hold  a  meeting  for  worship  the  day  after 
each  of  the  country  Quarterly  Meetings. 
These  gatherings  were  called  Youths'  Meet- 
ings. "On  Sixth-day,  the  nth  of  Eighth 
month,  1797,  such  a  meeting  was  held  at 
Abington.  After  the  meeting  had  been  sit- 
ting awhile  in  silence,  a  tall  slim  man  in  the 
preacher's  gallery,  whose  head  had  for  some 
time  been  bent  down  between  his  knees, 
slowly  rose.  His  bent  form,  his  silk  cap 
and  white  dress  might  have  drawn  a  smile 
from  the  heedless  stranger  who  had  dropped 
in  out  of  curiosity  or  for  amusement,  but 
there  was  an  earnestness  about  his  counte- 
nance which  bespoke  attention  and  respect. 
He  spoke  briefly,  yet  forcibly.  Apt  at  illus- 
tration and  felicitous  in  expression,  he  caught 
and  enchained  the  attention  of  all,  strangers, 
children,  babes  in  the  truth,  and  fathers  and 
mothers  in  the  Church.     Guiltless  of  writ- 

[44] 


NICHOLAS  WALN 
1741-1813 


' 


... 


• 


A  Centennial   Celebration. 

ing  rhymes  he  was  yet  a  poet,  and  throngs 
of  bright  images,  carrying  forcible  convic- 
tion and  Christian  instruction  flowed  from 
his  lips.  His  name  was  James  Simpson. 
He  sat  down  and  a  deep  silence  came  over 
the  tendered  assembly.  After  a  solemn 
pause  Nicholas  Wain  rose  to  his  feet.  His 
voice  seemed  filled  with  Gospel  love,  to  which 
his  richly  melodious  voice  gave  utterance  in 
tones  so  sweet,  and  yet  so  forcible,  that 
every  ear  was  pleased  and  every  intellect 
was  charmed,  whilst  the  baptizing  power  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  accompanying  the  word 
preached  softened  the  hearts  and  moistened 
the  eyes  of  those  who  were  gathered.  He 
stood  and  ministered  for  about  an  hour,  after 
which  he  fell  on  his  knees  and  lifted  up  the 
voice  of  prayer  and  praise.  A  solemnity 
very  unusual  covered  those  assembled  as  he 
ceased  to  offer  on  their  behalf  supplication 
to  the  God  of  mercy  and  grace.  The 
solemnity  continued  and  they  remained  sit- 
ting together,  baptized  into  oneness  of  feel- 
ing.    Those  at  the  head  of  the  gallery  at  last 

[45] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

shook  hands  in  token  that  the  meeting  had 
closed.  The  solemnity  was  still  unbroken, 
and  no  one  felt  like  rising  to  depart.  A 
pause  ensued,  Nicholas  Wain  then  spoke  out, 
'Under  the  solemn  covering  we  are  favored 
with  Friends  had  better  separate.'  A  few 
young  men  near  the  door  then  rose  to  their 
feet,  but  the  solemnity  was  still  over  them, 
and  observing  none  follow  their  example 
they  sat  down  again.  Sweet,  awful  silence 
continued,  until  Richard  Jordan,  standing 
up,  broke  forth  with  the  song  of  triumph 
which  greeted  the  Saviour's  entrance  into 
Jerusalem,  'Hosanna !  Hosanna !  Blessed  is 
he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.' 
A  few  sentences  followed,  setting  forth  the 
blessedness  of  these  merciful  visitations, 
these  seasons  of  favor,  wherein  the  Saviour 
makes  Himself  known  amongst  His  people. 
He  sat  down  again,  and,  shaking  hands  with 
the  Friend  beside  him,  the  meeting  closed. 
Most  persons  were  so  tendered  in  spirit  that 
few  words  of  conversation  passed  among 
them  as  Friend  separated  from  Friend." 

[46] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

Perhaps  the  most  remarkable  of  the  three 
Friends  mentioned  in  this  extract,  taken  from 
"Biographical  Sketches  and  Anecdotes  of 
Friends,"  is  Nicholas  Wain.  He  was  born 
at  Fair  Hill,  near  Philadelphia,  in  1742. 
His  father  died  when  he  was  but  eight  years 
old,  but  he  was  carefully  trained  by  his 
mother  and  uncle.  He  attended  one  of  the 
William  Penn  Charter  Schools,  where  he  was 
well  grounded  in  ordinary  English  branches, 
with  Latin  and  Mathematics.  After  leaving 
school  he  studied  law,  devoting  also  some 
time  to  acquiring  German,  which  was  after- 
wards very  useful  to  him  in  his  law  practice, 
as  the  fluency  with  which  he  spoke  the  lan- 
guage, his  cheerful,  pleasing  and  amiable 
manners,  with  their  confidence  in  his  in- 
tegrity, made  him  a  favorite  with  the  Ger- 
mans in  Lancaster  County  and  other  Ger- 
man-speaking parts  of  the  country  near 
Philadelphia.  He  was  naturally  vivacious, 
witty  and  sarcastic,  delighting  in  gaiety  and 
merriment,  but  suffered  nothing  to  interfere 
with  his  studies,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar 

[47] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

while  yet  under  age.  Not  long  after  this 
he  went  to  London  to  work  in  the  Temple 
Law  Schools.  Here  his  early  studious 
habits  helped  to  preserve  him  from  idle 
pastimes  and  the  dissipations  of  a  great  city. 
The  absence  of  his  old  associates  gave  him, 
during  his  hours  of  relaxation,  leisure  for 
reflection  and  retirement.  His  early  reli- 
gious impressions  were  here  revived,  and  he 
determined  to  lead  a  different  life.  Upon 
his  return  home  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
law  and  was  very  successful. 

In  1772  he  was  favored  with  a  renewed 
visitation.  He  says  that  his  whole  life,  even 
every  day  of  his  life,  was  laid  open  and  all 
his  sins  brought  to  remembrance.  He  had 
many  times  before  consulted  with  flesh  and 
blood,  and  reasoned  away  strong  convictions, 
but  now,  through  the  power  of  constraining 
grace,  he  gave  up  to  the  heavenly  visitation. 
He  was  so  overwhelmed  with  sorrow  and 
contrition  that  he  was  totally  unable  to  attend 
to  his  business,  and  remained  in  this  unset- 
tled state  of  mind  until  he  felt  it  his  duty 

[48] 


THE    GREATER   MEETING-HOUSE,  SOUTH- 
WEST CORNER  OF  MARKET 
AND  SECOND  STREETS 

With  Court    House    on    the    ri%hi    in  the    centre    of 
Market  Street.     From  an  early  water  color 


. 


. 


. 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

one  morning  to  go  to  the  week-day  meeting 
at  the  old  Market  Street  House.  Here  he 
offered  that  remarkable  prayer  which  has 
been  so  often  quoted.  It  seemed  to  be  alto- 
gether on  his  own  account,  but  had  a  power- 
ful effect  on  all  present.  He  left  his  seat  in 
the  middle  of  the  meeting,  and  going  up  to 
the  preacher's  gallery,  there  knelt  down. 
For  some  minutes,  although  the  congrega- 
tion rose,  no  sound  was  uttered.  At  last, 
with  a  tremulous,  but  powerfully  melodious 
voice,  slowly,  sentence  by  sentence,  came 
forth  his  confession  of  his  sins,  and  his  dedi- 
cation of  himself  and  all  that  he  had  to  the 
service  of  his  Divine  Master,  even  if  it  should 
lead  to  persecution  or  to  martyrdom.  Such 
was  the  solemnizing  effect  that  his  hearers 
were  bathed  in  tears.  After  meeting  he 
went  quietly  home  and  kept  much  retired  for 
a  time.  He  left  the  Bar,  gave  up  his  busi- 
ness, put  on  the  garb  of  a  consistent  Friend, 
and  in  fervency  of  spirit  sought  to  fill  up  his 
measure  of  religious  duty.  He  was  at  this 
time  about  thirty  years  old. 

[49] 


Arch   Street   Meeting-House. 

He  was  a  very  remarkable  man  in  many 
ways.  His  great  natural  talents  had  been 
highly  cultivated  and  he  had  an  unusual  fund 
of  humor  and  ready  wit,  and  although  he 
said  a  great  many  queer  things,  he  very 
likely  refrained  from  saying  a  great  many 
more  than  some  Friends  ever  thought  of. 
One  person  said  of  him  that,  as  a  great  man, 
a  wise  man,  a  learned  man  and  a  rich  man,  he 
knew  no  one  possessed  of  such  childlike  sim- 
plicity as  Nicholas  Wain.  Although  a  man 
of  no  ordinary  talents,  and  of  great  influence 
in  society,  he  was  remarkable  for  his  con- 
descension. He  was  an  original,  being  no 
man's  copy  and  feared  no  man  in  doing  what 
he  thought  was  required  of  him.  Faithful 
friends,  and  even  children,  loved  him,  but 
hypocrites  feared  him.  Although  a  rich 
man,  he  lived  a  life  of  self-denial.  He  had  a 
keen  sense  of  the  ludicrous,  which  sometimes 
led  him  to  say  things  for  which  he  was  after- 
wards sorry.  We  are  told  that  he  appeared 
at  all  times  with  a  smile  of  sunshine  on  his 
countenance.     As  an  example  of  his  aptness 

[50] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

of  reply,  the  story  is  told  that  in  his  first  case 
at  the  Bar  he  had  his  old  law  preceptor  as 
his  opponent.  His  old  master,  when  en- 
deavoring to  reply  to  the  clear  legal  argu- 
ment and  close  reasoning  of  his  late  student, 
exclaimed,  "Have  I  brought  up  a  young 
eagle  to  pick  out  my  eyes?"  "No,"  forci- 
bly and  distinctly,  though  in  an  undertone, 
spoke  out  Nicholas,  "to  open  them." 

Arthur  Howell,  an  eminent  minister,  was 
in  the  habit  of  leaving  his  communications 
till  late  in  the  meeting,  often  beginning  when 
it  was  nearly  time  for  meeting  to  close.  One 
day  Nicholas  walked  up  to  him  and  said, 

"Arthur  Howell,  what's  the  reason, 
Thou  art  always  out  of  season? 
When  it's  time  to  go  away 
Thou  must  always  preach  or  pray." 

A  woman  Friend,  a  minister,  was  subject 
to  fits  of  depression.  Nicholas  calling  one 
day  to  see  her,  she  began,  "Nicholas,  I  am 
going  to  die."  "I  think  there  is  no  doubt 
but  thou  will,"  said  he,  "and  when  thou  gets 

[51] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

to  heaven  give  my  love  to  the  Apostle  Paul, 
and  tell  him  I  wish  he  would  come  back  to 
earth  and  explain  some  of  the  hard  things  in 
his  Epistles."  His  jovial  humor  roused  her 
from  her  depression  and  set  her  to  thinking 
of  something  besides  herself. 

Another  Friend  being  ill,  and  thinking  she 
was  near  her  end,  sent  for  Nicholas  Wain. 
After  sitting  by  her  bedside  awhile  he  began, 

"There  was  an  old  woman  lived  under  a  hill, 
And  if  she's  not  gone,  she  is  living  there  still." 

He  then  went  on  to  preach  her  a  sermon 
on  placing  her  dependence  on  man,  and 
pointed  her  to  the  true  source  of  strength  in 
such  an  hour.     The  Friend  recovered. 

On  one  occasion,  Nicholas  having  gone 
somewhat  astray  in  some  way,  the  elders 
came  to  visit  him.  They  rang  and  rang  the 
front  door  bell,  but  no  one  came.  At  last 
the  second-story  window  was  opened  and 
Nicholas  put  his  head  out  and  said,  "Friends, 
you  need  not  come  in,  the  Master  has  been 
here  before  you." 

[52] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

And  so  we  might  go  on  with  many  more 
stories  about  him,  for  an  unusual  number 
seem  to  have  been  preserved. 

He  died  in  1813,  aged  71  years. 

Of  a  very  different  sort  was  simple- 
hearted,  humble-minded  James  Simpson. 
Some  one  has  said,  "We  cannot  think  too 
lowly  of  ourselves  if  we  do  not  despair." 
The  same  doctrine  is  characteristically  set 
forth  by  our  simile-loving  Friend  :  "Friends, 
be  as  little  as  the  snowbirds,  and  then  the 
devil  can't  hit  you." 

He  was  born  in  Bucks  County  in  1743. 
Although  a  birthright  member,  as  his  mother 
after  his  father's  death  had  married  a  Pres- 
byterian, he  was  not  brought  up  under 
Friendly  influences.  On  the  marriage  of  his 
elder  brother  he  went  to  live  with  him,  and 
became  a  diligent  attender  of  Buckingham 
Meeting.  He  passed  through  deep  bap- 
tisms, and  when  almost  sunk  into  :i  state  of 
despair  he  was  favored  with  a  wonderful  visi- 
tation of  Divine  light  to  his  soul.  This  he 
compared  to  the  sun  breaking  from  under 

[53] 


Arch   Street  Meeting-House. 

thick  clouds  and  darting  its  rays  into  a  room 
which  might  have  been  supposed  to  be  clean 
and  in  order,  discovering  not  only  what  was 
out  of  order,  but  also  cobwebs,  spiders  and 
the  insects  that  had  taken  an  abode  therein, 
thus  showing  there  was  much  to  be  done 
within  the  chamber.  This  Light  also  showed 
him  an  extensive  prospect  of  labor  without, 
and  he  felt  that  he  was  commissioned  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  all  mankind.  From 
this  time  he  believed  that  he  was  anointed, 
and  in  due  season  was  called  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry. 

He  was  a  man  of  feeble  constitution,  and 
he  found  that  coopering,  the  trade  in  which 
he  had  been  trained,  was  too  hard  work  for 
him,  so  with  a  partner  he  opened  a  small 
retail  store.  It  was  customary  at  that  time 
to  sell  liquor  in  all  country  stores,  and  the 
use  of  it  was  general  among  Friends.  About 
this  time  James  was  engaged,  in  company 
with  several  other  Friends,  in  paying  family 
visits  in  Buckingham  Monthly  Meeting. 
Just  before  starting  he  had  bought  a  hogs- 

[54] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

head  of  rum  and  left  it  for  his  partner  to 
sell.  But  while  sitting  in  a  Friend'c  family, 
in  the  course  of  the  visit,  the  idea  of  the 
harm  this  rum  might  do  came  before  him 
with  such  force  that  he  thought  he  must 
return  home.  But  the  other  Friends  were 
not  so  willing  to  let  him  go,  so  he  went  with 
them  to  several  more  places,  but  with  the 
hogshead  of  rum  continually  before  his  view, 
he  was  silent.  Soon  all  vocal  service  ceased, 
and  they  sat  in  several  families  in  silence. 
At  length  they  took  an  opportunity  together 
to  examine  into  the  cause.  James  said  that 
he  was  the  Jonah,  and  upon  being  pressed  to 
explain  he  told  them  about  the  rum.  They 
allowed  him  to  go  home  and  tell  his  partner 
to  be  very  careful  to  whom  he  sold  it,  and  he 
determined  that  no  more  should  be  bought  in 
his  name,  after  which  the  visit  was  finished 
to  satisfaction.  Not  long  after  this  he  gave 
up  his  store  and  tried  brush-making,  but  was 
not  very  successful  for  the  want  of  a  good 
market.  Feeling  much  discouraged  as  to 
the  means  of  livelihood,  he  was  instructed  by 


55 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

a  dream.     He  thought  he  was  working  at  a 
flour  cask,  when  a  man  appeared  to  him  and 
told  him  how  foolish  it  was  in  him  to  do  it 
when  he  knew  it  injured  his  health.     James 
asked  what  he  should  do;  the  stranger  then 
gave  him  full  instructions  as  to  how  to  make 
brooms,  beginning  with  the  raising  of  the 
broom  corn,  the  preparation  of  it  for  use 
and  the  whole  process  throughout.     When 
he  awoke  he  thought  this  was  so  remarkable 
that  he  proceeded  at  once  to  carry  out  the 
directions  he  had  received.     He  soon  finished 
some  brooms  and  took  them  to  Philadelphia 
to  sell,  but  purchasers  were  few  as  he  stood 
in  the  market,  and  as  he  noticed  other  ped- 
dlers crying  their  wares  through  the  streets, 
he  concluded  that  it  was  only  pride  that  was 
keeping  him  from  doing  the  same  thing.    So 
he  started  out  and  soon  met  Nicholas  Wain, 
who  did  not  altogether  approve  of  the  plan 
and  bought  all  his  brooms.     But  he  seems 
to  have  continued  the  business  notwithstand- 
ing Nicholas's  advice  to  the  contrary.     After 
a  time  he  moved  to  Hatboro,   within  the 

[56] 


SAMUEL  SANSOM 
1738-1824 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

limits  of  Horsham  Meeting,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Martha  Shoemaker  in  1790.  He 
travelled  about  in  the  ministry  to  a  consid- 
erable extent,  making  sometimes  long  jour- 
neys and  frequently  appointed  meetings  for 
those  of  other  societies,  or  among  those  who 
seldom  went  to  any  place  of  worship.  His 
meetings  were  always  largely  attended  and 
his  ministry  was  often  very  remarkable. 
Those  not  our  members  often  attended 
Horsham  Meeting  in  order  to  hear  him 
speak,  and  some  said  that  even  if  he  said 
nothing  they  were  satisfied  just  to  see  him. 
He  used,  as  we  have  before  said,  wonderfully 
beautiful  and  often  poetic  language,  delight- 
ing in  metaphor  and  simile,  often  using  the 
most  simple  things  as  illustrations.  He  was 
often  himself  instructed  by  dreams  and 
visions,  and  he  had  intended  to  have  the 
most  remarkable  of  these  written  down  for 
the  help  and  encouragement  of  others,  but 
unfortunately  it  was  never  done. 

Though  endowed,  as  we  have  seen,  with 
a  remarkably  baptizing  gift  in  the  ministry, 


57 


Arch   Street   Meeting-House. 

he  was  often  greatly  depressed.  Once  in  the 
course  of  a  religious  visit,  after  attending 
a  meeting  at  Springfield,  Delaware  County, 
he  was  visited  with  deep  discouragement,  and 
said  he  must  go  at  once  home,  thinking 
himself  unfit  for  the  work  of  a  minister  of 
the  Gospel.  His  companion  said  that  they 
had  appointed  a  meeting  for  the  next  day 
at  Providence  and  must  attend  it.  He 
passed  a  most  distressing  afternoon  and 
night,  and  arose  the  next  morning  still 
determined  to  go  home.  But  the  friend 
suggested  that  they  sit  down  together  and 
wait  upon  the  Lord  for  counsel  in  the  mat- 
ter. In  a  short  time  James,  with  a  bright 
countenance  and  cheerful  voice,  expressed 
his  willingness  to  go  to  the  meeting,  saying, 
"My  Master  has  been  here  and  said  to  me, 
'Go,  and  I  will  send  my  servant  Eli  Yarnall, 
and  he  shall  come  and  pray  for  thee.'  '  And 
the  Master  did  send  Eli  Yarnall,  Avho  very 
unexpectedly  felt  a  call  to  go  to  Providence, 
not  knowing  of  the  appointed  meeting.  He 
left  his  ploughing,  however,  and  went,  get- 

[58] 


A  Centennial   Celebration. 

ting  there  a  little  late.  He  was  soon  called 
to  intercede  for  his  friend,  that  his  faith 
might  be  strengthened  and  help  given  him 
to  prosecute  his  religious  service.  This 
help  was  granted  and  James  soon  arose  and 
preached  a  powerful  sermon,  many  being 
greatly  affected  and  contrited  to  tears. 

The  latter  part  of  his  life  was  spent  in 
Frankford,  where  he  died  in  the  Fourth 
month  of  1811,  aged  about  68  years.  He 
was  a  tall,  thin  man,  six  feet  or  over,  and 
usually  dressed  in  drab.  He  was  very  inter- 
esting in  conversation,  especially  with  young 
people,  and  has  left  to  us  a  beautiful  example 
of  humility  and  Christian  simplicity. 

Although  Richard  Jordan  was  not  a  mem- 
ber of  Philadelphia  Yearly  Meeting  till  after 
1804,  he  seems  so  closely  connected  with  it 
that  a  few  words  about  him  do  not  seem  out 
of  place.  He  was  born  in  Virginia,  though 
all  his  earlier  life  was  spent  in  North  Caro- 
lina. He  passed  through  many  deep  bap- 
tisms before  he  was  made  willing  to  lay  all 
at  the  feet  of  his  Master  and  give  himself  up 

[59] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

to  do  His  will.  For  a  long  time  he  thought 
he  would  be  as  good  as  he  could  be  without 
preaching,  but  he  found  that  would  not  do, 
and  he  began  to  preach  when  he  was  twenty- 
five  years  old.  He  married  Pharaby  Knox, 
"a  young  woman,"  he  says,  "that  had  sus- 
tained an  amiable  character  in  the  world, 
and  whose  religious  education  far  exceeded 
mine."  She  was  a  true  helpmeet  to  him, 
and  had  very  often  to  stay  by  the  stuff  alone 
during  his  frequent  visits  on  religious  ser- 
vice. When  he  was  married,  his  father 
offered  him  several  slaves,  but  he  felt  best 
satisfied  not  to  take  them,  which  displeased 
his  father ;  and  at  different  times  later  on  in 
the  course  of  his  travels  we  find  him  much 
concerned  for  the  welfare  of  the  colored 
race.  On  one  of  his  earlier  religious  visits, 
upon  reaching  Baltimore,  he  found  the  small- 
pox prevailing  in  the  city,  and  upon  weigh- 
ing the  matter  carefully,  and  James  Carey 
having  offered  his  house  for  the  purpose, 
Richard  and  his  companion  were  inoculated 
for    the    small-pox.     This    detained    them 

[60] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

about  six  weeks.  His  longest  absence  from 
home  was  during  his  visit  to  Europe  from 
1799  to  1803,  during  which  time  he  says  he 
travelled  15,000  miles,  and  encountered 
many  perils  both  by  land  and  by  sea. 

Not  long  after  his  return  he  felt  that  it 
would  be  right  for  him  to  remove  to  Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  which  he  did,  and  after  remain- 
ing there  some  years  he  came  to  live  in  Cam- 
den, N.  J.  He  was  a  plain,  old-fashioned 
Friend  and  lived  in  great  simplicity.  Doubt- 
less many  of  you  are  familiar  with  the  pic- 
ture of  him,  a  short,  rather  stout  man,  walk- 
ing along  his  lane,  with  his  simple  little 
home  in  the  background. 

He  was  often  favored  with  a  powerful 
manifestation  of  Divine  grace  in  the  exer- 
cise of  his  gift  as  a  minister.  During  one 
of  the  visits  of  William  Williams,  of  Ten- 
nessee, to  Philadelphia,  whilst  sitting  at  the 
house  of  the  Friend  where  he  lodged,  a  per- 
son present  mentioned  that  Richard  Jordan 
had  been  silent  for  a  considerable  time  in  his 
own  meeting.     "Perhaps,"  said  William,  "he 

[61  ] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

is  making  a  convert."  On  being  asked  to 
explain,  he  said  that  when  he  and  Richard 
lived  near  together  in  North  Carolina,  a 
neighbor  of  theirs,  a  man  of  note,  conceived 
a  great  inclination  to  hear  Richard  Jordan 
preach,  and  for  this  purpose  attended  several 
First-day  meetings,  but  our  Friend  was 
silent.  ''Well,"  thought  the  neighbor,  "Mr. 
Jordan  only  preaches  on  week-days,"  so  on 
week-days  he  came  to  meeting,  but  Richard 
remained  silent.  This  continued  for  several 
weeks,  until  the  neighbor  found  his  desire  to 
hear  the  preacher  subside,  but  another  work 
had  been  imperceptibly  going  on,  and  he  now 
felt  that  he  was  not  at  liberty  to  neglect  the 
attendance  of  either  First-  or  week-day 
meetings,  and  he  became  convinced  of 
Friends'  principles.  After  the  desire  of 
hearing  Richard  had  been  succeeded  by  a 
willingness  to  listen  to  the  "still,  small  voice," 
the  seal  was  removed  from  Richard's  lips 
and  he  began  again  to  preach. 

One  day  a  Friend  was  driving  down  the 
pike  near  Richard's  house  at  Newton,  and 


[62 


A   Centennial  Celebration. 

saw  him  wheeling  his  wife  Pharaby  down 
the  lane  in  a  wheelbarrow.  Upon  asking 
what  was  the  matter,  Richard  said  she  had 
been  sick  and  he  thought  a  little  fresh  air 
would  do  her  good,  and  as  he  had  no  car- 
riage he  concluded  to  use  the  wheelbarrow. 

In  a  letter  written  from  Philadelphia, 
while  there  on  a  religious  visit,  he  says, 
"Notwithstanding  the  prevalence  of  worldly 
greatness  and  grandeur  among  many  pro- 
fessors here,  we  find  a  sympathizing  rem- 
nant; our  way  through  this  place  has  been 
much  easier  than  we  expected." 

In  another  letter  dated  New  Castle,  Eng- 
land, Seventh  month  28,  1800,  he  says, 
"Friends  are  very  kind,  individuals  offer 
me  assistance — what  I  suppose  they  would 
think  a  better  polish — but  I  don't  seem  free 
to  accept  this  part  of  their  kindness.  They 
seem  also  to  make  some  difficulty  of  my  drab 
hat,  but  have  not  as  yet  forbid  the  use  of  it, 
so  I  go  on  much  in  the  old  way."  He  lived 
till  1826,  his  faithful  Pharaby  having  died 
nearly  two  years  before. 

[63] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

A  writer  signing  himself  "Lang  Syne," 
thus  gives  his  recollections  of  the  preachers 
of  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
He  mentions  James  Pemberton,  Nicholas 
Wain,  Daniel  Offley,  Arthur  Howell,  William 
Savery  and  Thomas  Scattergood  as  the 
"shining  lights"  of  those  days.  "From  the 
preachers'  gallery,  as  seen  through  'the  mist 
of  years,'  "  James  Pemberton  sat  at  the  head 
of  the  gallery,  an  immovable  figure,  very 
erect  and  resting  with  both  hands  crossed 
on  the  top  of  his  cane. 

"Arthur  Howell  always  sat  shrouded  be- 
neath his  hat  drawn  over  his  face,  and  the 
upper  part  of  his  outside  coat  elevated  to 
meet  it,  like  unto  a  prophet  'in  his  mantle 
wrapt,'  and  isolated  in  thought  from  all  sub- 
lunary things." 

James  was  the  only  one  of  the  three 
brothers,  Israel,  James  and  John  Pember- 
ton, who  lived  into  the  nineteenth  century. 
They  were  all  remarkable  men,  influential 
in  the  affairs  of  the  Colony  of  Pennsylvania 
and  were  among  the  Friends  banished  to 

[64] 


RICHARD  JORDAN 
1756-1826 


• 


•AhCv^c   i        spa 


hree 
1  to 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

Virginia  in  1776.  They  formed  the 
"Friendly  Association"  for  preserving  peace 
with  the  Indians.  Israel  and  James  were 
active  in  helping  the  oppressed  blacks,  and 
both  were  at  one  time  members  of  the  State 
Legislature.  James  was  a  man  of  mild  dis- 
position, and  of  great  intellectual  powers 
highly  cultivated  and  of  ample  pecuniary 
means.  Endowed  with  sound  judgment, 
and  influenced  by  large  benevolence,  he 
cheerfully  devoted  his  powers,  his  time  and 
his  substance  to  promote  the  good  of  his 
fellow-creatures.  To  the  various  benevo- 
lent institutions  of  Philadelphia  he  was  a 
liberal  benefactor,  and  in  their  management 
he  took  an  active  share.  He  was  an  elder, 
for  many  years  clerk  of  the  Meeting  for 
Sufferings  and  filled  with  ability  many  other 
offices  in  our  religious  society. 

Mary  Pryor,  a  minister  from  England, 
writing  to  her  husband  from  Philadelphia 
in  1798,  tells  him  that  she  is  making  her 
home  with  James  and  Phoebe  Pemberton, 
"who  appear  as  a  prince  and  princess  both 

[65] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

outwardly  and  inwardly,"  and  in  mentioning 
the  different  Friends  who  went  with  her  in 
her  different  services,  she  says,  "I  am  fav- 
ored with  companions  far,  very  far,  superior 
to  myself  in  my  little  visits.  There  are 
Samuel  Smith,  Samuel  Emlen,  Rebecca 
Jones,  dear  Nicholas  Wain,  Elizabeth  Foulke 
(whom  she  calls  'my  Betsy')  and  most  days 
my  landlady,  Phoebe  Pemberton,  and  her 
choice  husband."  She  also  expresses  a  fear 
lest  she  should  be  spoiled  by  the  attentions 
received  in  their  most  comfortable  home. 
In  a  letter  dated  Third  month  15th,  she 
writes,  "All  my  pleadings  could  not  get  me 
excused  from  a  fire  in  my  bed-room  nights 
and  mornings." 

James  Pemberton  died  in  1809  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  85  years. 

This  same  Friend,  Mary  Pryor,  in  an- 
other letter  says,  "Yesterday  I  dined  at 
Arthur  Howell's.  I  think  he  may  be  said 
to  be  'zealous  for  the  Lord  of  Hosts.'  "  He 
began  to  preach  before  he  was  21  years  old. 
He  was  often  remarkablv  led  to  minister  to 


66] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

special  cases,  of  which  a  number  of  instances 
have  been  recorded.  His  public  ministry 
was  peculiar.  His  voice  was  loud,  and  as 
he  only  gave  utterance  to  a  few  syllables 
with  each  breath  his  communications  ap- 
peared somewhat  abrupt.  He  was  often  led 
to  attend  the  funerals  of  Friends,  and  not 
many  took  place  in  the  city  among  his  ac- 
quaintances that  he  neglected.  The  story  of 
the  wonderful  way  in  which  he  was  led  to 
go  to  the  funeral  of  a  young  woman  in  Ger- 
mantown,  who  had  been  very  unjustly  ac- 
cused of  a  crime,  and  who  had  faith  to  be- 
lieve that  one  of  the  Lord's  servants  would 
be  sent  to  her  funeral  to  testify  to  her  inno- 
cence, is  too  familiar  to  be  repeated  here. 
He  seemed  at  times  to  be  gifted  with 
prophetic  insight.  On  one  occasion  an  Eng- 
lish woman  Friend  here  on  a  religious  visit, 
was  ready  to  return  home,  and  went  with 
Arthur  Howell  on  board  a  vessel  just  ready 
to  sail  to  see  if  she  would  feel  easy  to  take 
passage  on  it.  That  appears  to  have  been 
the  custom  with  Friends  preparing  to  cross 

[67] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

the  ocean  on  religious  service.  Arthur  be- 
came distressed  and  agitated,  and  drawing  a 
circle  with  chalk  upon  the  deck,  he  said,  "I 
can  see  as  plainly  as  I  can  see  that  ring  that 
this  is  neither  the  time  nor  the  vessel."  The 
Friend  did  not  take  passage  and  the  vessel 
was  never  afterwards  heard  from. 

A  young  woman  went  with  some  of  her 
companions  into  Friends'  Market  Street 
Meeting-house,  out  of  curiosity,  being  in  the 
city  to  see  the  sights.  A  minister  from  Eng- 
land sat  at  the  head  of  the  women's  gallery, 
and  her  sweet  solemnity  of  appearance  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  young  woman. 
She  kept  saying  over  to  herself,  "I  wish  I 
was  like  that  lady!"  At  length  Arthur 
Howell  rose  in  the  gallery,  and  in  an  ener- 
getic manner  and  sounding  voice  spoke  out, 
"Leave  off  wishing  and  desiring  and  seek  for 
thyself."  Of  course  she  was  very  much 
startled  and  wondered  how  that  strange  gen- 
tleman could  know  what  she  was  thinking 
about.  But  this  short  sermon  set  her  to 
thinking  seriously,  and  she  became  eventually 

[68] 


JAMES  P EMBERTON 
1723-1800 


i 

he  deck,  he  said,  "I 
an  see  ti 


• 


. 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

a  useful  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
Arthur  Howell,  as  well  as  many  other 
Friends,  was  active  in  doing  what  he  could 
to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens during  the  various  visitations  of  the  yel- 
low fever  in  Philadelphia.  The  following 
letter  from  him  to  his  cousin,  Col.  Joshua  L. 
Howell,  shows  what  he  felt  to  be  his  duty  in 
the  matter : 

"Phila.,  Eighth  month  13th,  1798. 

"My  dear  Cousin:  My  lot  from  present 
prospects  will  be  to  remain  in  this  city.  As 
thou  knowest,  dear  Cousin,  when  a  soldier 
in  the  outward  army  is  fixed  at  his  post  by 
his  commanding  officer,  however  dangerous 
it  may  appear  to  him  or  others,  it  is  death  to 
him  to  desert  it,  and  so  do  I  view  my  pres- 
ent situation,  and  unless  I  receive  a  command 
from  my  dear  Master  and  Captain  to  move 
therefrom  I  dare  not,  however  hazardous  my 
stay  may  to  myself  or  others  appear.  His 
power  is  the  same  it  ever  was  (it  is  not 
diminished),  whatever  the  sons  of  defection 
may  think.  He  preserved  Daniel  in  the 
lion's    den    and    Shadrach,    Meshach    and 

[69] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Abednego  in  the  fiery  furnace ;  and  He  can, 
and  I  firmly  believe  will,  preserve  me  and 
all  those  whose  whole  trust  and  confidence 
is  fixed  on  Him.  Glory  to  His  ever-blessed 
name,  saith  my  soul,  in  that  He  has  redeemed 
me  from  all  sublunary  enjoyments,  and  my 
soul  from  the  power  of  the  grave,  so  that 
to  me  death  has  no  terror,  neither  believe  I 
will  the  grave  have  any  victory.  That  it 
may  be  thy  case  as  well  as  mine,  and  all 
mankind  universally,  by  a  steady  attention 
to  the  precious  gift  of  Divine  Grace,  is  the 
earnest  desire  of  thy  affectionate  cousin, 
"Arthur  Howell." 

Although  he  did  valiant  service  during 
this  awful  period,  he  entirely  escaped  the 
disease  and  lived  till  1816. 

Another  Friend  who  was  very  active  in 
this  way  was  Thomas  Scattergood.  He  was 
at  all  times  characterized  by  a  desire  to  do 
good  to  his  fellow-creatures.  This  he  car- 
ried into  all  the  relations  of  life — in  his 
treatment  of  his  employees  as  well  as  in  his 
intercourse  in  his  family  circle.  We  read 
of  his  labors  among  Friends  and  others  at  the 

[70] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

time  of  the  yellow  fever  in  1793,  and  in 
1798,  while  he  was  in  England  on  a  reli- 
gious visit  his  eldest  daughter,  a  young  girl 
of  sixteen  died  of  the  disease.  His  wife  and 
son  were  also  ill  at  the  same  time,  but  both 
recovered. 

The  Yearly  Meeting  of  Ministers  and 
Elders  met  as  usual  on  Seventh-day,  Ninth 
month  22d,  1798,  and  the  meeting  for  Dis- 
cipline met  on  Second-day  and  adjourned  to 
the  Twelfth  month  following,  but  in  the 
short  time  that  Friends  from  the  country 
were  in  the  city  a  number  took  the  disease 
and  several  died  after  their  return  home. 
After  this  it  was  concluded  to  hold  the 
Yearly  Meeting  in  the  spring  instead  of  the 
fall,  as  being  a  time  less  liable  to  the  fever, 
and  from  1799  to  the  present  time  the  third 
Second-day  in  the  Fourth  month  has  been 
the  opening  day  of  Philadelphia  Yearly 
Meeting. 

Among  the  worthies  who  were  prominent 
a  century  ago  we  have  many  interesting  and 
instructive  anecdotes  of  both  George  Dillwyn 

[71] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

and  William  Savery.  In  1784  George  Dill- 
wyn  went  to  England  on  a  religious  visit 
and  was  there  most  of  the  time  for  eighteen 
years.  His  wife,  Sarah,  an  excellent  woman, 
went  with  him.  When  he  was  about  start- 
ing she  went  into  the  Men's  Monthly  Meet- 
ing in  Burlington  and  asked  the  advice  of 
the  meeting  whether  she  had  better  go  with 
him  or  not,  saying,  "I  am  resigned  to  go, 
or  resigned  to  stay,  but  most  resigned  to  go." 
A  large  part  of  his  service  was  in  and  near 
London.  He  and  Thomas  Scattergood  were 
there  together,  and  Thomas  felt  it  right  to 
appoint  an  evening  meeting  at  which,  how- 
ever, he  was  silent  and  George  had  all  the 
vocal  service.  When  the  meeting  was  about 
to  close  Thomas  arose  and  said  the  language 
had  been  running  through  his  mind  for  some 
days,  "What  if  thou  shouldst  appoint  a  meet- 
ing for  thy  elder  brother?"  Thus  these  two 
brethren  labored  together  in  their  Master's 
service. 

William  Savery  was  an  active,  energetic 
laborer  in  whatever  his  Master  called  him  to 

[72] 


GEORGE  D1LLWYN 
i 738-1820 


eet  Me 

- 


i 


w 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 


do.    He  said  there  was  no  room  in  the  Lord's 
house  for  the  slothful,  and  his  actions  showed 
that  he  believed  in  the  truth  of  the  assertion. 
During  the  visitations  of   yellow   fever   in 
1802  and  1803  he  devoted  himself  to  caring 
for  the  sick  and  afflicted.     Upon  one  occa- 
sion Thomas  Scattergood  felt  a  strong  in- 
clination to  be  present  at  the  execution  of 
two  criminals  in  Philadelphia,  which  hardly 
seemed  like  a  religious  concern.     He  went 
to  his  friend,  William  Savery,  who  was  at 
work  in  his  currier's  shop  and  found  him 
disposed  to  accompany  him.     They  watched 
the  approach  of  the  hurdle  in  which  the 
criminals  were  placed,  which  they  closely  fol- 
lowed for  some  time  and  then  got  upon  it. 
They  felt  as  if  they  were  dreadfully  hard- 
ened, never  having  been  sensible  of  the  like 
before ;  but  they  afterwards  believed  that  this 
feeling  arose  from  a  deep  sense  given  them 
of  the  state  of  the  minds  of  the  criminals. 
When   they  arrived   at   the  platform   they 
ascended  the  ladder  after  the  poor  men,  and 
directly  after  the  execution  William  Savery 

[73] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

felt  a  powerful  impression  to  address  the 
multitude  assembled.  The  state  of  his  mind 
immediately  changed  into  one  of  deep  com- 
passion, so  much  so  that  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  he  could  forbear  weeping.  It  was 
observed  that  many  among  the  crowd  wept. 
As  soon  as  he  had  done  Thomas  Scatter- 
good  followed,  and  very  impressively  and 
powerfully  pointed  out  to  the  people  the  evil 
of  giving  way  to  the  first  temptation  to  do 
wrong,  closing  the  whole  with  supplication. 
The  time  thus  occupied  was  about  an  hour 
and  the  crowd  quietly  dispersed. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  Revolution  there 
was  a  remarkable  visitation  to  the  young 
men  of  Philadelphia,  and  a  remarkable  clos- 
ing in  with  the  offers  of  mercy.  Jonathan 
Evans,  strong  in  mind  and  decided  in  char- 
acter, turned  from  the  evil  courses  of  his 
youth  and  offered  his  talents  and  energy  to 
the  service  of  the  Lord  who  had  by  the 
mighty  hand  of  His  Providence  brought  his 
soul  out  of  darkness  into  His  marvellous 
light.     One  day  in  search  of  something  he 

[74] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

wanted,  he  was  looking  over  the  contents  of 
an  old  chest  when  he  picked  up  a  book,  and 
on  opening  it  his  eye  caught  the  words,  "The 
Light  of  Christ."  He  threw  it  down  and 
went  away.  But  he  could  not  forget  the 
words,  so  he  decided  to  examine  the  book 
further,  and  found  it  to  be  William  Penn's 
"No  Cross,  No  Crown."  He  read  the  book 
and  was  thoroughly  aroused  to  a  sense  of  his 
condition,  and  sought  earnestly  for  pardon 
for  his  past  sins.  As  he  could  no  longer 
enjoy  the  company  of  his  former  associates 
he  kept  much  retired.  At  last  Daniel  Offley, 
thinking  he  had  a  melancholy  fit,  tried  to 
rouse  him  from  it,  but  Jonathan  Evans  so 
clearly  set  forth  his  true  state  that  Daniel 
Offley  was  himself  convinced  and  became  a 
minister  in  1781.  He  did  not  live  into  the 
nineteenth  century,  as  he  died  of  the  yellow 
fever  in  1793,  when  but  37  years  old.  Jona- 
than Evans  was  drafted  as  a  soldier  and  was 
confined  sixteen  weeks  in  prison  for  refusing 
to  serve.  When  but  twenty-four  he  was 
made    overseer    of    the    Southern    District 


[75 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Monthly  Meeting  and  later  an  elder,  and  for 
many  years  he  was  clerk  of  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing, as  was  also  his  wife  Hannah,  the  daugh- 
ter of  David  Bacon.  She  was  said  to  be  a 
woman  of  a  kind  and  loving  spirit,  and 
looked  faithfully  after  the  health  and  train- 
ing of  her  children.  Being  a  skillful  nurse, 
her  warm  sympathies  often  led  her  to  minis- 
ter to  the  sick  and  afflicted.  Jonathan  Evans 
was  well  versed  in  the  Discipline  of  our 
Society.  William  J.  Allinson,  writing  of  the 
close  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  in  1836,  thus 
speaks  of  him :  "Next  sat  the  man  whose 
first  name  is  sufficient  designation  in  all  the 
Society  of  Friends.  As  he  leaned  upon  his 
cane  he  reminded  you  of  Rome  and  every- 
thing that  is  rendered  venerable  by  antiquity 
and  stern  endurance.  His  very  appearance 
was  a  grand  moral  spectacle,  the  more  so  to 
those  who  knew  him.  Versed  in  all  the  doc- 
trines, opinions  and  usages  of  the  Society, 
he  detected  at  a  glance  the  first  appearance 
of  whatever  is  unseemly.  The  Discipline  is 
an  open  book  before  him  and  he  is  an  oracle 

[76] 


CATHARINE  W.  MORRIS 


1772-1859 

From    a     photograph     belonging     to     George 
Never  before  pubushed, 


• 


■ 

e  is 


A  Centennial   Celebration. 

to  expound  its  meaning.  When  he  speaks, 
and  he  is  not  lavish  of  his  speeches,  the  clerk 
may  safely  make  a  minute,  for  the  question 
is  settled;  Jonathan  is  not  mistaken.  Not 
that  he  assumes  dictation,  not  that  he  wishes 
to  carry  his  point,  but,  as  I  said,  the  Dis- 
cipline is  an  open  book  before  him,  and  he 
knows  all  about  it  without  thinking  twice. 

"Be  it  that  he  is  fallible  like  the  rest,  he 
has  overcome  more  than  almost  any  ten  men 
had  to  contend  with.  When  he  is  gathered 
to  his  fathers  the  Society  will  miss  him,  and 
then,  and  not  till  then,  will  they  appreciate 
his  worth." 

Rebecca  Jones  was  a  very  interesting  char- 
acter in  the  early  days.  Her  mother  was  a 
zealous  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church, 
and  tried  to  bring  her  daughter  up  in  the 
same  profession.  But  when  quite  a  child, 
she  often  asked  permission  to  go  to  Friends' 
meetings  and  her  mother  did  not  object. 
When  asked  why  she  liked  to  go,  she  said 
that  Friends  were  a  good  people  and  she 
liked  their  way,  for  there  was  not  so  much 

[77] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

rising  up  and  sitting  down  as  there  was  at 
church.  She  did  not  care  for  their  preach- 
ing, but  was  always  best  pleased  with  silent 
meetings.  She  became  much  exercised  in 
mind,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  and  finally 
concluded  to  write  to  an  English  Friend, 
Catharine  Payton,  then  visiting  in  Philadel- 
phia. She  slipped  her  letter  without  a  sig- 
nature into  the  Friend's  hand  just  as  she  was 
going  into  meeting  one  day,  and  when 
Catharine  Payton  asked  Anthony  Benezet  if 
he  could  tell  who  wrote  the  letter,  he 
answered,  "I  don't  know,  unless  it  be  romp- 
ing Beck  Jones."  She  was  at  this  time  about 
sixteen  years  old.  She  was  afterwards  an 
active  member  of  the  Society,  a  minister  for 
over  fifty  years.  She  was  a  teacher  for 
many  years  and  at  the  same  time  active  in 
her  calling  as  a  minister.  She  went  on  a 
religious  visit  to  England  in  1784,  crossing 
the  ocean  in  the  same  ship  with  Samuel 
Emlen  and  George  Dillwyn,  and  did  not  re- 
turn till  1788.  In  1793  she  was  very  low 
with  the  yellow  fever,  but  she  was  raised  up 

[78] 


A  Centennial   Celebration. 

again,  and  though  often  in  feeble  health  she 
lived  till  1818.  She  was  one  of  the  first 
seven  women  Friends  on  the  Westtown  Com- 
mittee, and  was  very  active  in  getting  the 
new  house  ready  for  occupancy  in  1799.  In 
her  early  days  as  a  member  of  the  Society 
she  is  described  as  "a  sober  maiden  with  cap 
on  head  and  kerchief  pinned  with  mathe- 
matical precision.  Bright-eyed  intelligence 
and  vivacity  of  spirit,  chastened  by  Christian 
watchfulness  and  circumspection  beamed  in 
her  countenance,  where  energy  and  decision 
sat  enthroned.  She  was  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel,  youthful  yet  wise,  fervent  yet 
cautious,  nicely  balancing  submissiveness  to 
her  elder  Friends  with  independence  of  char- 
acter, humility  with  self-respect.  At  that 
time  she  was  the  hope  of  the  aged,  in  after 
life  the  veneration  of  the  young." 

But  time  warns  us  that  we  must  draw  this 
rambling  account  to  a  close,  leaving  unmen- 
tioned  many  worthies  who  were  useful  in 
their  day  and  generation,  the  descendants  of 
many  of  whom  are  here  to-day,  and  who, 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

taking  the  places  of  their  ancestors,  are  fill- 
ing up  their  measure  of  usefulness  and  mak- 
ing history  for  future  generations. 

The  following  is  quoted  from  the  editorial 
in  the  Friend  of  Fifth  month  14th,  1904: 

"Not  non-conformity  with  the  common 
drift  gave  our  standard-bearers  their  author- 
ity, but  Truth's  authority  gave  them  their 
non-conformity.  'Ye  shall  receive  authority 
after  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon  you.'  In 
that  Divine  influence  and  power  consisted 
their  authority;  and  into  that  must  we  with 
as  single  an  eye  and  heart  return  if  we  are 
to  have  the  same  authority  again." 


[80] 


FRIENDS'  MEETING-HOUSE,  FOURTH  AND 
ARCH    STREETS,     PHILADELPHIA 

Showing  the  original  east  wing  and  centre  building 

at  the  left  with  the  west  wing  erected 

later  at  the  right 

(Copyrighted  by  George  B.  Wood)  \ 


. 


POEM. 


BY  FRANCIS  B.  GUMMERE. 


I. 

Song  calls  for  heroes,  bids  the  thunder  chime 
Subservient  rhythm,   and  on  a  cloud  of 
need, 
That  frowns  its  wrath  over  some  perilous 
time, 
Writes  in  swift  lightning  runes  of  noble 
deed. 

Song  throbs  to  the  indomitable  heart 

Of  martyred  Sidney,  and  the  word  he  sped 
When  his  grim  headsman,  loath  to  play  the 
part, 
Held  back  the  axe,  bent  o'er  the  block,  and 
said, — 

e  [81] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Missing  the  message  men  give  ere  they  die, 
"Wilt   speak?     Wilt   stand?      Wilt   rise 
again  f"     But  like 

Arrow  or  levin  came  the  stern  reply : 

"Not  till  the  general  resurrection!  Strike." 

Song  haunts  old  palaces,  cathedral  choirs, 
Majestic  ruins,  mountain  crags,  the  dome 

Of  sunset  vista,  and  where  beacon-fires 
Leap  from  their  cliffs  and  red  the  tumbling 
foam. 

Song  haunts  the  solitudes  of  glorious  death, 

As   where,    from   barren   hills   to   barren 

waves, 

The  heart  of  Scotland  sighs  and  Scotland's 

breath 

Moans  dirges  o'er  the  covenanters'  graves. 

II. 

What,  then,  have  we  to  win  the  grace  of 
song? 
What  deed,  what  passionate  word,  what 
storm  of  tears, 
What  joy  exultant  flashes  out  along 
The  dim  procession  of  our  silent  years? 

[82] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

What  champions  greet  us  from  that  petty 
strife, 

Trim  heroes  of  the  basket  and  the  store? 
What  solitude,  what  majesty  of  life, 

In  this  mid-city's  dull  and  futile  roar? 

And    here!     Vain    quest    for    organ-music 
streaming 
With    the    long    chant,    for    carved    and 
vaulted  fane, 
For  marbled  memories  and  legends  gleaming 
Purple  and  crimson  from  the  sun-flushed 
pane! 
No  chapel  solitudes;  no  mourners  kneeling 
With  sigh  and  tear  before  that  piteous 
form, 
To  hear  His  voice  of  consolation  stealing 
As  once  upon  the  Galilean  storm.     .     .     . 

III. 

House  of  our  fathers,  and  have  these  thy 
walls 
No  word  of  answer  for  the  singer's  quest, 
No  sudden,  spirit-traced  memorials 

Of  lives  that  peered  the  bravest  and  the 
best? 

[83] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Of  struggles  in  the  wilderness ;  the  word 
Of  courage  flashed  from  clash  of  doubt 
and  faith ; 
The  cry  of  agony ;  the  whispers  heard 

From   souls  triumphant  in  the   gates  of 
death  ? 

And  we,   shall  we  who  hold  thy  memory 
dear, 
And  praise  our  heritage,  and  round  thee 
throng, 
Tune  no  brave  chorus   for  thy  hundredth 
year, 
Compel  no  paean  on  the  lips  of  song? 

Nay.     Song  for  thee  has  no  insistent  strain, 
And  writes  no  epic  of  thy  fates.     A  thrill 

Of  deeper  harmony  shall  make  us  fain 
To  stand  before  thee  reverent  and  still, — 

As  mountaineers,  once  gained  their  cloud- 
girt  islands, 

Above  the  mists,  above  the  broken  light, 
Take  into  deeps  of  silence  out  of  silence 

The  ministrations  of  the  infinite. 

[84] 


THE  SOCIAL  LIFE  OF  YEARLY 

MEETING  WEEK— PAST 

AND  PRESENT. 


BY   FRANCES  TATUM   RHOADS. 


In  sharp  contrast  with  the  familiar  asso- 
ciation of  "Yearly  Meeting"  with  "merely 
eating,"  are  these  words  from  a  recent  edi- 
torial in  The  American  Friend  on  the  "Im- 
portance of  Christian  Fellowship" : 

"In  the  early  days  of  our  Society  (note 
the  name)  fellowship  and  social  intercourse 
were' the  most  prominent  thing.  If  anybody 
suffered,  it  was  an  affair  of  the  whole  group. 
Everybody  knew  everybody.  It  was  a 
society.  The  members  felt  themselves  united 
in  a  great  living,  active  fellowship.  There 
has  sometimes  been  a  disposition  to  laugh 
at  the  monthly  and  quarterly  meeting  din- 
ners, and  at  the  clannishness  of  Friends  as  it 


[85 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

was  in  the  days  of  our  youth.  These  things 
were  just  as  important  as  Discipline  or 
Queries.  They  did  more  to  hold  the  Society 
together  than  any  legislation  of  business 
meetings  did." 

A  better  understanding  of  the  significance 
of  this  contract  can  be  reached  if  we  study 
somewhat  in  detail  the  social  life  of  our 
Yearly  Meeting  during  three  periods :  that 
of  a  century  ago,  that  of  what  we  may  call 
the  middle  period  and  that  of  the  present 
day. 

Perhaps  the  most  complete  picture  of  the 
social  life  of  Philadelphia  Friends  a  century 
ago,  is  to  be  found  in  the  Memorials  of 
Rebecca  Jones,  a  book  that  will  amply  repay 
the  study  of  the  young  Friends  of  these 
times. 

Of  her  it  might  have  been  said,  as  it  was 
of  another  prominent  member  of  this  Yearly 
Meeting,  that  she  was  "good  for  both 
worlds."  Her  letters  and  journal  convey 
not  only  her  deep  spiritual  exercises  and 
those  of  her  friends,  but  also  many  details  of 

[86] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

their  daily  lives,  and  of  the  conduct  of  her 
school,  her  "little  shop"  and  her  "humble 
habitation  on  Brook's  Court,  convenient  to 
North  Meeting." 

Her  first  appearance  in  Philadelphia 
Yearly  Meeting  was  in  1755,  when  she  was 
but  sixteen;  not  far  removed  from  that 
romping  girlhood  which  had  earned  her  the 
title  of  "wild  Becky  Jones."  She  had  at- 
tended meetings  often  before  this  time,  but 
was  not  aware  that  only  members  attended 
the  sittings  of  the  Yearly  Meeting.  How- 
ever, "seeing  so  many  plain  Friends  she  felt 
uneasy,  and  as  if  she  had  no  business  there, 
which  was  increased  by  a  whispering  she 
fancied  she  heard  near  the  clerk's  table. 
Catharine  Kallendar,  leaving  her  seat,  went 
upstairs  and  sat  by  her,  and  seeing  her  about 
to  rise,  she  laid  her  hand  upon  her  kindly, 
and  presently  they  both  went  out,  when 
Catharine  informed  her  that  those  meetings 
were  exclusively  for  members,  but  she  be- 
lieved that  the  time  was  not  far  distant  when 
it  would  be  proper  for  her  to  attend  them." 

[87] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

This  wise  and  gentle  dealing  had  the  de- 
sired effect,  and  Rebecca  Jones  notes  in  her 
journal,  "Though  I  left  the  meeting  in  much 
distress,  yet  no  hardness  got  in.  .  .  . 
My  love  rather  increased,  not  only  to  this 
Mother  in  Israel,  but  to  the  whole  flock." 
And  it  was  only  three  years  later,  in  1758, 
that  she  made  her  first  appearance  in  the 
ministry,  when  "some  Friends  spake  encour- 
agingly to  me,"  she  says,  "and  I  met  with 
no  opposition." 

It  is  interesting  to  note  her  own  encour- 
aging attitude  toward  the  young  people  of 
the  Yearly  Meeting,  when  years  after  she 
writes  to  Henry  Drinker,  "but,  dear  Henry, 
thou  knowest  we  old  people  cannot  see  as  in 
the  days  of  our  youth,  and  therefore  it  is  a 
comfort  that  there  is  a  lively  prospect  of  a 
succession  among  the  dear  youth.  May  they 
be  kept  down  to  the  immortal  root  in  them- 
selves and  preserved  as  fruit-bearing 
branches,  is  my  prayer  for  them." 

We  may  mark  as  a  characteristic  of  the 
Friends  of  a  century  ago  the  use  made  of 

[88] 


ARCH  STREET  WEST  FROM  THIRD  TO  HALF 
WAY  BETWEEN  FOURTH  AND  FIFTH 
STREETS  AS  IT  APPEARED  WHEN  THE 
MEETING-HOUSE  WAS  BUILDING 

Residences  of  Friends  appear  on  the  right 

{Reproduced  from  Birch's  Views  Published  1799). 


I  had  tl  ■ 

■ 

the 

she 

them- 
selves    and     pi 
bra 

the 
the  use  ma<' 

r  88 1 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

their  young  members  in  the  work  of  the 
Church,  when  they  showed  a  right  fitness  for 
it.  Jonathan  Evans  was  made  an  overseer 
at  24  and  an  elder  at  36  years  of  age. 

John  Smith,  who  married  the  daughter  of 
James  Logan,  was  made  clerk  of  the  Yearly 
Meeting  when  but  19.  A  German  Friend, 
who  had  gone  out  while  the  matter  was 
before  the  meeting,  coming  in  and  hearing 
its  decision,  paused  as  he  passed  John  Smith 
on  his  way  to  his  seat,  and  clapping  him  upon 
the  shoulder,  said,  in  an  audible  and  emphatic 
voice,  "Stay  dy  mind  upon  de  Lord,  John!" 

Perhaps  there  is  no  more  striking  charac- 
teristic of  the  life  of  that  time  than  the 
social  visiting  which  was  abundantly  prac- 
ticed without  the  aid  of  any  meeting's  com- 
mittee. Elizabeth  Drinker's  journal  is  much 
taken  up  with  lists  of  their  callers,  and  the 
people  whom  they  visited.  When  an  even- 
ing passed  with  "none  but  our  own  family" 
she  makes  a  marked  entry,  as  of  a  most  un- 
common thing. 

The  Philadelphia  of  that  day  was  like  a 

[89] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

country  town.  Small  wooden  benches  by 
the  door  steps  on  Arch  Street  were  filled  on 
warm  evenings  with  family  groups  greeting 
acquaintances  who  passed  by. 

On  the  nineteenth  of  Sixth  month,  1804, 
occurred  the  death  of  William  Savery,  "our 
endeared  brother,"  Rebecca  Jones  calls  him. 
And  he  was  endeared,  not  only  to  Friends, 
but  to  many  others  in  Philadelphia. 

An  incident  which  occurred  soon  after  his 
death,  gives  an  interesting  picture  of  the 
time.  In  Front  Street,  opposite  the  end  of 
Brook's  Court,  stood  Peter  Brown's  black- 
smith shop,  where  was  employed  as  foreman 

one  Jacob  B ,   an   elderly  man,   and  a 

sober-minded  Methodist,  who  had  lost  three 
daughters  in  the  yellow  fever  epidemic  of 
1802.  William  Savery  had  in  this,  as  in 
many  other  instances  given  his  personal  at- 
tention at  the  risk  of  his  life.  A  few  days 
after  his  decease  this  man  went  up  the  court 
to  fill  his  noggin  at  Rebecca  Jones'  pump, 
which,  on  account  of  the  quality  of  its  water, 
was    resorted    to    by    persons    from    many 

[90] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

squares  distant.  Seeing  her  seated  by  her 
open  window,  he  thus  accosted  her,  "May  be 
you  won't  have  any  objections  to  hearing  a 
hymn  I've  made  to  sing  over  my  work," 
adding  that  "it  helped  his  mind  to  soar 
while  his  hands  were  engaged  in  necessary 
labor."  He  then  proceeded  to  sing  his 
verses  with  much  emotion,  which,  with  no 
claim  to  poetical  elegance,  contained  a  warm 
expression  of  regard  for  the  virtues  and 
value  of  William  Savery;  clearly  showing 
that  a  memorial  to  the  worth  of  this  "disin- 
terested and  faithful  minister  of  Christ" 
lived  in  the  hearts  of  others  than  his  own 
people. 

Under  date  of  Fifth  month  ist,  1805, 
Rebecca  Jones  writes,  "Since  the  last  note 
our  Yearly  Meeting  has  been  held,  and 
though  throughout  it  was  a  low  time,  yet  a 
good  degree  of  weight  and  solemnity  at- 
tended, and  I  trust  some  strength  and  en- 
couragement were  received  by  the  true 
burden-bearers.  The  Women's  Meetings 
were  held  in  the  new  house  built  for  that 

[91] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

purpose  in  Arch  Street  burying  grounds,  and 
were  very  large.  It  was  said  by  some  men 
Friends  that  took  the  account,  that  1,600 
were  accommodated  in  it.     G.  Dillwyn  and 

W.  C made  us  a  visit  and  were  lively 

in  their  service.  Charity  Cook  and  Ann 
Alexander  visited  the  Men's  Meeting,  in 
which  the  latter  had  lively  testimony.  I  was 
marvellously  supported  in  sitting  so  many 
long  meetings,  and  for  which  I  desire  to  be 
humbly  thankful  to  my  ever-blessed  helper 
and  sure  Friend.  The  meeting  closed  on 
Seventh-day  about  n  o'clock,  but  not  as 
soon  as  we  wished  and  hoped  it  would." 

She  adds,  "yesterday  a  meeting  for  other 
societies  was  held  at  the  Arch  Street  house 
at  C.  Cook's  desire."  And,  again,  'Ann 
Alexander  had  a  large  meeting  for  the  in- 
habitants of  this  city  in  our  new  house  on 
Arch  Street  and  was  greatly  favored 
therein." 

On  the  9th  of  Fifth  month,  1805,  was  held 
the  Quarterly  Meeting  for  the  black  people, 
which  was,  Rebecca  Jones  records,  "the  last 

[92] 


SAMUEL  SMITH 
A  minister  of  this  time.     From  a  pencil  sketch 


,6oo 

I 


■ 


the  • 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

meeting  of  the  sort,  as  Friends,  upon  weighty 
deliberation,  were  united  in  the  belief  that 
the  service  of  them  was  over,  and  they  have 
now  several  places  of  worship  of  their  own, 
of  which  they  were  very  judiciously  and 
affectionately  informed  by  Nicholas  Wain 
and  the  meeting  ended  with  solemnity." 

Thus  the  Friends  of  that  time  had  their 
share  of  the  "Race  Problem"  to  work  out. 
Many  of  their  trusted  servants  were  found 
among  the  colored  people,  and  were  made 
literally  a  part  of  the  family.  When  Rebecca 
Jones  writes  to  John  and  Hannah  Pember- 
ton  she  sends  a  message  of  love  to  Oranock, 
their  "black  man."  There  were  colored 
Friends  and  others  who  habitually  attended 
Friends'  meetings.  In  some  houses,  as  that 
on  Key's  Alley,  there  were  separate  seats 
for  them,  and  our  late  Friend,  Israel  John- 
son, used  to  bear  his  testimony  against  this 
by  sitting  with  them. 

An  interesting  item  in  connection  with 
this  custom  refers  to  Capt.  Paul  Cuffee,  the 
story  of  whose  life  is  told  in  one  of  our 

[93] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Friends'  tracts.  By  his  own  exertions  he 
prospered  greatly  in  business,  and  was  in 
1806  the  owner  of  a  ship,  two  brigs  and 
several  smaller  vessels,  beside  other  property. 
He  used  his  means  largely  in  the  help  of  his 
poor  African  brothers,  making  two  voyages 
to  Sierra  Leone  in  his  own  vessel,  manned 
by  colored  sailors.  We  are  told  in  the  ac- 
count of  his  life  that  "he  was  warmly 
attached  to  the  Society  of  Friends,  of  which 
he  was  a  member,  and  sometimes  expressed 
a  few  sentences  in  their  meetings  which  gave 
general  satisfaction."  On  the  occasion  of 
the  incident  referred  to  above,  he  left  his 
seat,  walked  up  into  the  gallery  to  a  place  at 
the  head  of  the  meeting  and,  standing  there, 
preached  a  remarkably  powerful  sermon. 
At  its  close  William  Savery  moved  his  place, 
and  touched  his  arm,  directing  him  to  a  seat 
beside  himself,  but  Paul  Cuffee  made  a  ges- 
ture of  dissent  and  walked  back,  down  the 
aisle,  to  his  place  among  his  own  people. 

That  the  standard  of  "plain  dress"  a  cen- 
tury ago  differed  from  what  has  been  cus- 

[94] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

tomary  in  the  Yearly  Meeting  since,  as  well 
as  from  that  which  had  preceded  it,  is  shown 
in  a  quotation  from  an  old  diary  given  in 
Amelia  M.  Gummere's  book  on  Quaker  cos- 
tume, which  narrates  how  "Martha  Routh, 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel  from  old  England 

.  .  was  the  means  of  bringing  bonnets 
into  fashion  for  our  leading  Friends."  After 
some  further  details  concerning  "the  hoods 
on  the  cloaks  of  our  overseers,  and  other 
active  members,"  which  "have  increased  to 
an  alarming  height  or  size,"  the  extract  con- 
cludes, "how  unlike  the  dress  of  their  grand- 
mothers !" 

We  are  told  that  Rebecca  Jones'  bonnet 
had  "a  soft  crown  and  a  very  large  cape, 
spreading  in  three  points,  one  down  the  mid- 
dle of  the  back  and  one  reaching  to  the  tip  of 
each  shoulder." 

An  imposing  structure  this  must  have 
been,  but  not  so  graceful  in  outline  or  lovely 
in  coloring  as  the  bonnets  of  a  later  period. 
When  we  hear  the  tone  in  which  recollec- 
tions of  the  white,  plain  bonnet  are  uttered, 

[95] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

we  feel  that  there  must  be  a  fine  choice  of 
words  to  paint  it  as  it  was.  "Ah,"  said  a 
Friend  whose  hair  is  silvery  now,  "if 
thee  could  only  get  some  one  to  describe 
those  white,  plain  bonnets  to  thee!  I  used 
to  sit  at  my  uncle's  front  window  when  I 
was  a  boy  to  watch  them;  Arch  Street  was 
lined  with  them  as  the  young  women  hur- 
ried by  to  meeting."  His  tone  said  more 
than  his  words,  and  one  could  almost  fancy 
them,  gleaming  like  white  lilies,  and  seem- 
ing to  bend  and  sway,  like  lily-stalks  in  the 
breeze,  as  their  wearers  nodded  to  friends 
or  chatted  together.  No  wonder  that,  as 
tradition  says,  the  street  boys  sometimes  ran 
on  ahead  and  then  faced  about  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  some  especially  fair  girlish  face  in 
its  pure  framing.  The  gayer  Jersey  girls 
had  sometimes  a  hint  of  pink  coloring,  like 
the  arbutus  of  their  own  woods. 

Of  the  dress  of  the  men  Friends  less  ac- 
count is  preserved.  It  is  recorded  of  the 
personal  appearance  of  Jonathan  Evans, 
"His  remarkable  figure  is  not  easily  forgot- 

[96] 


WILLIAM  S AVERY 

1750-1804 

From  a  silhouette  in  the  possession  of  Sarah  Entlen 

REBECCA  JONES 

1739-1S18 

From  a  silhouette  in  the  possession  of  Sarah  Emlen 


said  a 
.  ribe 
en  I 


> 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

ten,  being  aptly  described  by  Henry  Cope 
as  reminding  of  a  Roman  senator.  Dressed 
in  a  long  broadcloth  coat  and  knee-breeches 
to  match,  ribbed  stockings,  shining  shoes  and 
silver  buckles,  overshadowed  by  a  broad- 
brimmed  beaver  hat,  with  a  cane  in  his 
hand,  he  was  ready  for  whatever  might  come 
in  his  daily  round." 

We  may  carry  the  comparison  to  a  Roman 
senator  a  little  further,  and  say,  with 
Macaulay, — 

"The  Romans  were  like  brothers  in  the 
brave  days  of  old,"  for  family  affection  and 
the  ties  of  blood  were  very  strong.  It  is 
said  of  one  family,  prominent  in  the  affairs 
of  our  Yearly  Meeting,  "The  children  of 
each  household  were  adopted  by  all  the  rest, 
and  the  weal  or  woe  of  any  member  of  the 
clan  vibrated  from  end  to  end." 

It  is  true  that  many  of  the  prominent 
Friends  of  a  century  ago  lived  "within  sound 
of  the  State  House  clock,"  but  that  there 
must  have  been  a  goodly  number  out  of 
town  is  shown  by  the  establishment  of  the 


97 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Pemberton  fund.  The  will  of  John  Pem- 
berton,  dated  1794,  disposes  of  "Part  of  my 
pasture  land  on  the  Wissahickon  Road  in 
the  Northern  Liberties.  ...  In  trust 
for  the  use  of  Friends,  members  of  the  same 
religious  Society  as  myself,  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  horses  of  such  Friends  who 
may  attend  the  Yearly  Meeting,  the  Quar- 
terly Meeting  of  Philadelphia,  the  Meeting 
for  Sufferings  or  other  religious  service  of 
our  religious  Society,  from  what  parts  soever 
they  may  come." 

John  Pemberton  died  in  1795,  but  it  was 
not  until  181 1  that  the  first  appointment  of 
trustees  was  made  by  the  Meeting  for  Suf- 
ferings. 

Somehow  one  always  fancied  the  horses 
grazing  on  the  original  "Pemberton  lot"  and 
drinking  from  "Pegg's  Run,"  but,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  the  ground  seems  to  have  been 
rented  from  the  beginning,  and  the  Friends' 
horses  quartered  in  different  places.  In 
1 84 1  the  trustees  received  from  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Pennsylvania  power  to  sell  the  prop- 

[98] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

erty  and  the  money  has  been  invested;  the 
income  from  it  being  still  used  to  pay  the 
travelling  expenses  of  Friends. 

The  Jersey  Friends  often  left  their  horses 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Camden  (where  one 
hospitable  man  entertained  a  stableful 
throughout  the  week,  we  have  heard),  and 
crossed  in  rowboats  to  the  city.  The  weather 
of  Yearly  Meeting  week  seems  to  have  early 
acquired  its  reputation,  for  an  uncle  of  my 
mother's  used  to  tell  how  he  remembered  the 
Jersey  Friends  re-crossing  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting  and  the  people  on  the  wharf  saying, 
"There  goes  the  last  boatload  of  Quakers! 
Now  we  shall  have  pleasant  weather  I" 

In  regard  to  the  provision  of  the  house- 
holders of  early  days  for  the  Yearly  Meeting 
guests,  we  may  well  believe  that  it  was 
ample.  It  was  David  Bacon,  of  whom 
Rebecca  Jones  writes  in  1800,  "D.  Bacon 
remains  an  upright  pillar,  sound  and  steady," 
who  originated  that  pleasant  anecdote  which 
has  been  handed  down  to  us  about  how 
horned  cattle  must  have  plenty  of  room,  but 

[99] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

many  sheep  can  be  happy  in  a  small  fold. 
This  when  he  was  asked  how  he  could  ac- 
commodate so  many!  He  is  said  to  have 
had  a  plan  for  keeping  quantities  of  oysters 
alive  in  his  cellar. 

A  family  anecdote  of  this  period  describes 
the  chairs  in  a  great-grandmother's  parlors 
filled  with  Yearly  Meeting  guests,  and  the 
young  hostess  herself  modestly  seated  in  the 
large  wooden  cradle,  which  after  the  custom 
of  the  day  was  part  of  the  furniture  of  the 
living  rooms. 

Mary  Evans  remembered  as  a  child  seeing 
Nicholas  Wain  choose  a  bunch  of  pipes  and 
hand  them  to  her,  bidding  her  take  them 
home  with  her,  as  Yearly  Meeting  was  com- 
ing on,  and  these  were  especially  fine  ones. 
Elizabeth  Drinker  mentions  the  visit  of  sev- 
eral Friends  to  her  while  her  husband  was 
exiled  in  Virginia,  tells  how  "Samuel  Emlen 
spoke  by  way  of  testimony"  and  adds,  "Ye 
Friends  stayed  talking  with  us  and  smoking 
their  pipes  until  after  three  o'clock." 

Later  she  writes,  "I  went  this  morning  to 

[  100] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

H.  Pemberton's.  Found  her  smoking  her 
pipe  with  two  officers,  one  of  whom  is  quar- 
tered there."  In  at  least  one  family  "a  keg 
of  Pepper's  beer"  was  a  part  of  the  Yearly 
Meeting  provision. 

Coming  down  to  the  middle  period  we 
find  Friends  living  in  somewhat  different 
style,  but  no  less  hospitable,  and  we  are 
enabled  to  gather  some  recollection  of  the 
social  life  of  Yearly  Meeting  week  by  eye 
witnesses,  which  may  already  seem  like 
scenes  from  the  past  to  our  younger  mem- 
bers. 

The  country  Friends  arrived  betimes,  as 
one  of  them  says,  "On  First-day  afternoon, 
or  on  Sixth-day  after  father  and  mother 
became  members  of  the  Select  Meeting, 
starting  early  in  the  day,  so  that  the  one  of 
our  brothers  who  went  with  us  could  bring 
back  the  horses  that  night,  thus  making  a 
round  trip  of  about  fifty  miles.  All  who 
were  going  to  Yearly  Meeting  went  at  that 
time,  and  that  was  by  no  means  the  whole 
family,  certainly  not  the  children  as  at  pres- 

[101] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

ent.  Our  driver  would  come  down  again 
on  Sixth-day,  attend  one  session  of  the 
Yearly  Meeting  and  bring  us  back.  I  re- 
member once,  however,  in  the  troubled  times 
near  1827,  father  and  mother  had  to  stay  in 
town  until  Second-day.  .  .  .  Clothing 
was  sometimes  carried  in  bandboxes,  and 
one  Friend  is  reported  to  have  carried  his  in 
a  bureau  drawer  or  a  drawer  taken  from  a 
high  chest." 

"My  father,"  says  another,  "was  born  in 
1800.  I  remember  his  telling  me  of  being 
taken  by  an  aunt  to  an  evening  meeting  in 
the  Arch  Street  house,  whether  the  very  first 
of  such  gatherings  I  cannot  say.  However, 
the  impression  made  upon  the  child's  mind 
was  deep.  The  size  of  the  room,  the  unusual 
illumination,  the  white  dresses  of  the  young 
women,  made  him  think  of  the  'troops  of 
the  shining  ones,'  and  were  vividly  remem- 
bered through  his  long  life." 

"There  were  more  young  girls  to  attend 
then  than  now.  Even  in  my  childhood  all 
the   upper   galleries   were   thronged   at   the 

[  102] 


THE  BEE-HIVE  BONNET 

Worn  in  the  latter  part  of  the   Eighteenth  Century. 

The  figure  is  probably  Lydia  Hollingshead. 

From  a  picture  in  possession 

of  Sarah  Emlen 


back.     I  re- 
ed times 


'  v\ 


■fevt^ S 


i   »ps  of 
the 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

time  of  Yearly  Meeting,  and  a  late-comer 
was  glad  to  secure  a  place  on  one  of  the 
staircases.  But  a  great-aunt  has  told  me 
that  in  her  girlhood  there  was  a  great  deal 
more  'unbecoming  behavior'  than  in  my 
early  days.  These  white-robed  maids  did 
not  hesitate  to  sit  on  the  backs  of  the  gal- 
lery benches  and  exchange  confidences  to  the 
dismay  of  the  would-be  listeners.  And  in 
the  course  of  the  past  fifty  years  there  is  still 
further  improvement  in  decorous  manners. 
More  I  think  than  can  be  accounted  for  in 
mere  decrease  of  numbers." 

In  the  middle  part  of  the  late  century  a 
considerable  number  of  uninterested  meet- 
ing-comers found  the  yard  a  pleasant  parad- 
ing ground,  and  there  were  not  wanting 
many  attentive  and  genial  youths  from  "the 
other  side,"  as  companions.  I  don't  remem- 
ber joining  the  procession,  but  glimpses 
through  the  open  doors  were  beguiling. 

Then,  in  those  days,  when,  as  often  seemed 
to  happen,  the  "Men's  Meeting"  was  released 
before  our  own,  a  large  "curb-stone  commit- 

[  103  1 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

tee"  filled  the  sidewalk  from  the  women's 
gate  to  Fourth  Street.  Some  were  there 
"looking  for  their  wives,"  and  others  con- 
fessed the  same  motive  for  the  future.  So 
impressive  and  formidable  was  this  "com- 
mittee" that  there  were  those  who  felt  it  a 
great  relief  and  comfort  to  slip  out  of  the 
Fourth  Street  gate  if,  as  sometimes  hap- 
pened, it  was  found  unlocked. 

How  full  Arch  Street  used  to  be  of 
Friends,  all  the  way  to  Tenth  and  Eleventh 
Streets,  after  meetings!  So  many  who  en- 
tertained lived  on  Arch  Street,  and  coming 
out  after  the  afternoon  sitting,  how  the  level 
western  sunshine  lighted  up  the  new  gowns 
and  bonnets! 

"In  my  girlhood  the  time  of  Yearly  Meet- 
ing was  like  to  the  gathering  of  the  tribes  at 
Jerusalem  to  the  feast  of  the  Passover.  The 
invitations  were  perennial,  and  I  had  almost 
said  immutable."  In  one  household  the  bed- 
steads were  put  as  closely  as  possible  in  the 
chambers,  and  the  washstands  removed  to 
the  entries.     In  another  a  large  chest  in  the 

[  104] 


RESIDENCE  OF  A  FRIEND  ON  ARCH  STREET 
ABOVE  FOURTH 

This  is  as  it    appeared  in   1804.     Built    in   1792. 
Removed  in  1856 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

attic  served  as  a  bedstead  for  one  member 
of  the  family. 

Of  one  Friend  we  are  told  that  she  always 
made  a  large  baking  of  pies  on  the  Seventh- 
day  before  Yearly  Meeting  and  another  dur- 
ing the  week,  when  the  holding  of  the  Select 
Meeting  postponed  the  morning  session, 
"Thirty  guests  might  come  to  dinner,  as 
many  to  supper  and,  of  course,  the  lodgers." 
Small  wonder  that  the  "delicious  plum  pies 
and  cocoanut  puddings"  vanished. 

The  country  relatives  who  were  thus  roy- 
ally entertained  were  sometimes  helpful  in 
their  turn.  Dozens  and  dozens  of  fresh  eggs 
were  sent  in  and  choice  spring  veal  for  roast- 
ing in  one  family.  In  another,  a  special  vari- 
ety of  sausage,  called  "Tom  Thumb,"  was 
carefully  prepared  and  smoked  in  the  autumn, 
hung  all  winter,  was  then  sent  to  town  and 
after  long  boiling  was  thinly  sliced  and  gave 
a  delicious  flavor  to  the  Yearly  Meeting  tea. 
Pickled  oysters  and  damson  tarts  are  choice 
memories  in  one  mind,  in  another,  oranges, 
"much  more  rare  then  than  now." 

[105] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Of  one  Friend  who  belonged  to  this  mid- 
dle period  it  was  said  in  his  memorial,  "His 
house  and  heart  were  ever  open  to  receive 
and  entertain  the  many  who  sought  his 
society  for  counsel  or  assistance,  and  in  social 
intercourse  his  conversation  was  peculiarly 
instructive  and  engaging." 

In  the  opening  sentence  of  this  paragraph 
we  strike  the  key-note  to  the  genuine  old- 
time  Yearly  Meeting  hospitality.  (That 
which  dignified  it  beyond  "merely  eating.") 

"His  house  and  heart  were  ever  open!" 
It  was  the  open  heart — the  heart  "at  leisure 
from  itself,  to  soothe  and  sympathize" — that 
produced  the  charm  of  such  evenings  as 
Whittier  has  sung  in  "The  Pennsylvania  Pil- 
grim," where  he  says  of  the  hospitality  of 
Pastorius, — 

"  But  best  he  loved,  in  leisure  hours,  to  see 
His  own  dear  Friends  sit  by  him,  knee  to  knee, 
In  social  converse;  genial,  frank  and  free. 
Then  sometimes  silence  (it  were  hard  to  tell 
Who  owned  it  first),  upon  the  circle  fell." 

[106] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

"Only  the  old  clock  ticked,  amidst  the  dearth 
Of  sound;  nor  eye  was  raised  nor  hand  was  stirred 
In  that  soul- Sabbath,  till  at  last  some  word 
Of  tender  counsel  or  low  prayer  was  heard." 

Such  evenings  the  older  Friends  still  with 
us  can  vividly  recall.  "Imagine,"  says  one 
of  them,  "hearing  Stephen  Grellet  telling, 
with  the  French  accent  he  always  retained, 
the  marvellous  story  of  his  conversion,  and 
subsequent  journeys  in  his  native  land.  Or, 
later,  Daniel  Wheeler,  recounting  how  the 
way  had  been  made  plain  for  him  amid  many 
perils,  and  often  when  his  patient  heart  was 
aching  with  the  news  of  bereavement  at 
home.     His  was  truly  a  victorious  faith ! 

Our  Friend  recalls  the  interest  with  which 
she  heard  John  M.  Whitall  tell  of  the  guid- 
ance in  temporal  matters  which  had  been 
granted  to  him  after  a  time  of  waiting,  sil- 
ently and  in  faith,  upon  his  Divine  Master. 

Or  Thomas  Wistar's  lively  narratives  of 
his  adventures  among  the  Indians,  by  whom 
his  ready  sympathy  and  unselfish  care  for 
them   were   so   fully   appreciated   that   they 

[  107  1 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

called  him  "the-man-with-the-tear-in-his- 
eye." 

Many  here  can  recall  a  square  parlor  on 
Pine  Street  where  the  genial  hostess  reme- 
died her  lack  of  hearing  by  a  ready  under- 
standing, unfailing  tact  and  a  love  of  young 
people  so  strong  as  to  draw  toward  her  all 
that  came  under  influence.  She  understood 
how  to  bring  together  strangers  of  congenial 
character  and  to  draw  out  the  diffident  or  re- 
tiring. The  simple  refreshment  always  pro- 
vided, and  the  general  ease  and  freedom 
tended  to  increase  the  flow  of  enjoyment  and 
innocent  mirth.  To  many  a  shy  Westtown 
boy  or  isolated  country  girl  these  evenings 
were  a  happy  memory  for  the  rest  of  the 
year. 

These  are  pleasant  pictures  over  which  we 
might  linger,  but  rather  let  us  ask,  what  have 
we  to-day  in  their  stead  ? 

The  last  quarter  century  has  changed  the 
social  customs  of  Yearly  Meeting  week 
greatly  and  of  necessity.  White  plain  bon- 
nets and  embroidered  crape  shawls  with  all 

[xo8] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

their  grace  and  charm  would  have  been 
sadly  out  of  place  on  Arch  Street  on  the 
20th  of  last  Fourth  month,  when  we  drew 
our  prosaic  winter  wraps  close  and  bent  our 
heads  before  the  chilling  wind.  Just  as  un- 
suited  to  our  modern  life  are  some  of  the 
old  customs. 

Our  Yearly  Meeting  is  held  in  the  centre 
of  a  great  city.  The  homes  of  Friends  once 
clustered  so  thickly  on  Arch  Street,  near  the 
meeting-house,  are  largely  replaced  by  great 
business  establishments.  Most  of  our  mem- 
bers live  in  the  suburbs,  and  come  and  go  by 
train  or  trolley.  "Rapid  transit"  does  not 
tend  to  conversation  by  the  way.  In  the 
afternoon  or  evening  meetings,  a  pause  is 
often  made  to  allow  those  who  must  take  an 
early  train  to  leave  the  room.  We  have  not 
time  to  be  entertained  as  our  forefathers 
were.  The  spirit  of  hospitality  exists  just 
as  of  old,  but  it  must  be  exercised  in  new 
directions. 

To  return  to  our  contrast.  The  modern 
thinker  and  writer  on  Christian  fellowship 

[  109] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

finds  that  the  breaking  of  bread  together  was 
blessed  to  higher  purposes;  was  far  more 
than  "merely  eating."  He  bids  us  not  de- 
ride it,  but  seriously  consider  its  benefit. 

Now  what  have  we  to  promote  the  social 
life  of  Yearly  Meeting  week? 

We  have  the  lunches  furnished  at  the 
meeting-house,  we  have  the  afternoon  and 
evening  meetings  and  the  "teas"  between 
them,  which  are  most  helpful  in  this  direc- 
tion. We  continue  to  have  the  kindly  inter- 
est of  the  people  of  Philadelphia,  as  is  shown 
by  the  daily  press. 

We  had  in  the  Women's  Meeting  this  year 
the  presence  of  many  children,  and  the  plan 
proposed  and  carried  out  of  the  writing  of  a 
letter  from  the  Yearly  Meeting  to  its  child- 
members.  The  time  has  passed  when  there 
is  no  longer  room  for  the  children,  and  when 
Friends  "are  advised"  not  to  bring  them. 
The  time  has  come  when  we  realize  that  the 
social  life  and  the  spiritual  life  of  our  Yearly 
Meeting  in  future  years  will  depend  upon  the 
loyalty  of  these  children  to  their  religious 

[no] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

Society,  and  that  it  rests  with  us  who  are 
parents  and  teachers  to  lead  them  to  an  in- 
terest in  and  love,  for  our  meetings  and  our 
principles. 

We  had  recently  the  faithful  labors  of  a 
Yearly  Meeting's  Committee,  which  brought 
about  not  only  a  spiritual  strengthening  of 
our  smaller  meetings,  but  much  pleasant 
social  intercourse  in  our  homes  with  Friends 
before  but  little  known  to  us. 

All  this  is  encouraging.  If  our  meetings 
are  no  longer  so  thronged  or  crowded  that 
women  Friends  needs  be  "advised  to  draw  up 
their  pockets"  (then  worn  separately  from 
the  dress)  to  make  more  room,  there  is  evi- 
dence in  the  choice  of  seats  that  even  our 
younger  members  come  to  listen,  and,  it  may 
be,  take  some  part  in  the  business  of  the  ses- 
sions ;  not  to  talk  or  to  look  idly  about  them. 

And  if  a  "tea"  at  a  meeting-house,  or  a 
lunch  in  a  public  room,  seems  but  a  poor 
substitute  for  the  old-time  custom  of  leisurely 
meals  and  ample  time  for  conversation,  we 
can  only  turn  for  comfort  to  the  remem- 

[iii] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

brance  that  it  is  "the  spirit  that  giveth  life" 
and  that  real  Christian  fellowship  belongs  to 
all  time,  and  is  the  mark  of  the  true  disciple 
whenever  and  wherever  found. 

That  there  is  a  desire  on  the  part  of  many 
of  its  members  to  cherish  the  social  life  of 
our  Yearly  Meeting  we  have  had  abundantly 
proved  upon  this  occasion. 

So  let  us  say  with  our  good  Quaker  poet, 

"I  will  hold 
With  newer  light  my  reverence  for  the  old, 
And  calmly  wait  the  births  of  providence." 


[na] 


JONATHAN  EVANS 

1759-1839 

Enlarged  and  reproduced  from  a  photograph  which 

was  probably  taken  from  a  pencil  sketch.     It 

is  now,  as. is  supposed,  published 

for  the  first  time 


id. 

the  pari 


_ 


THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  YEARLY 
MEETING  IN  1804. 


BY  ISAAC  SHARPLESS. 


Friends  came  out  of  the  Revolutionary 
War  with  diminished  numbers,  but  a  clear 
record  in  relation  to  their  non-combatant 
views.  That  the  most  of  their  leading  mem- 
bers were  at  heart  British  sympathizers  seems 
to  me  extremely  probable,  and  equally  so 
that  many  of  the  country  Friends  were  on 
the  other  side.  They  were  united,  however, 
in  stringently  disowning  everyone  who  took 
any  part  in  warlike  matters  in  connection 
with  either  party.  Those  who  were  lost  to 
the  Society,  perhaps  400  in  number,  were  of 
two  classes.  One  was  the  militant,  public- 
spirited  Friend,  of  social  and  political  im- 
portance, who  openly  sided  with  the  Ameri- 
can cause.  Such  were  the  Morrises,  the 
Biddies,  Thomas  Mifflin  and  Timothy  Mat- 

s  [113] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

lack.  They  occupied  prominent  positions  in 
the  American  army  or  government.  Had 
they  remained  Friends,  they  would  have 
been  equally  prominent  in  affairs  of  the 
Church.  They  stood  for  liberal  ideas  and 
intelligent  participation  in  public  affairs,  and 
their  loss  left  the  Society  distinctly  weaker  in 
these  tendencies.  They  mostly  became  Free 
Quakers,  who  soon  disintegrated.  The 
other  company  consisted  of  a  number  of 
Friends  on  the  outskirts  of  the  Society,  of 
comparatively  low  moral  standing,  who  went 
into  the  army  because  they  had  no  princi- 
ples of  any  sort.  Thus  we  find  given  as 
causes  for  disownments,  the  joint  charge  of 
joining  the  army  and  encouraging  cock- 
fighting,  being  engaged  in  street  fights  or 
other  of  the  prevailing  loosenesses  of  the 
times,  together  with  positive  immoralities. 

When  John  Adams  came  down  to  attend 
the  Continental  Congress,  he  made  this  entry 
in  his  diary,  under  the  date  of  September 
17th,  1774:  "Dined  with  Miers  Fisher,  a 
young   Quaker   and   lawyer.     We   saw   his 

[114] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

library,  which  is  clever.  But  the  plain 
Friend,  with  his  plain,  though  pretty,  wife, 
with  her  'thees'  and  'thous,'  had  provided  us 
with  the  most  costly  entertainment."  This 
Miers  Fisher,  who  was  a  staunch  Friend, 
and  afterwards  one  of  the  Virginia  exiles, 
met  one  of  the  class  of  dubious  patriots  with 
a  naked  rapier  in  his  hand. 

"What  wilt  thou  do  with  that  dangerous 
weapon?"  said  the  young  lawyer. 

"I  expect  to  fight  for  my  property  and  my 
liberty,"  said  the  combatant  Friend,  with 
great  bravado. 

"As  for  thy  property,"  Fisher  replied, 
"thou  hast  none,  and  as  for  thy  liberty,  thou 
owest  that  to  the  clemency  of  thy  creditors, 
me  among  the  rest." 

This  class  was  no  loss  to  the  Society,  and 
would  probably  have  been  disowned  if  there 
had  been  no  war.  A  few  of  the  disowned 
Friends,  like  Owen  Biddle,  acknowledged 
their  misdeeds  and  came  back  into  full  stand- 
ing, but  the  total  loss  to  the  Society  was 
considerable. 

["Si 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Moreover,  the  Friends  lost  in  the  prestige 
and  influence,  which  they  had  held  to  a  very- 
large  extent  before  the  war,  as  the  leading 
citizens  of  the  colony.  They  went  quietly 
on  with  their  religious  work,  but  for  a  time 
their  political  activity  ceased.  They  repre- 
sented a  lost  cause  in  popular  estimation. 
This,  however,  soon  began  to  rectify  itself, 
and  by  the  time  Washington  came  into  the 
presidency,  in  1789,  matters  had  somewhat 
changed.  He  probably  represented  the 
popular  view  when  he  said,  in  reply  to  an 
address  sent  to  him  by  the  Yearly  Meeting, 
"Your  principles  and  conduct  are  well  known 
to  me,  and  it  is  doing  the  people  called 
Quakers  no  more  than  justice  to  say  that, 
except  their  declining  to  share  with  others  in 
the  burdens  of  common  defense,  there  is  no 
denomination  among  us  who  are  more  ex- 
emplary and  useful  citizens." 

It  is  probable  that  at  no  time  in  the  history 
of  the  country  did  the  numbers  of  Friends 
increase  as  rapidly  as  during  the  twenty 
years  between  the  close  of  the  revolution  and 

[116] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

the  building  of  this  meeting-house.  Part 
of  this  was  a  natural  increase.  It  was  a 
time  of  early  marriages  and  large  families. 
It  was  also  a  time  of  a  general  prosperity  in 
the  nation  in  which  the  Friends  were  large 
sharers.  They  were  continually  spreading 
out  into  the  uncleared  lands  contiguous  to 
them.  It  was  a  time  of  the  settlement  of 
many  new  meetings.  Thus  Abington  Quar- 
terly Meeting  was  set  up  in  1786,  Haddon- 
field  in  1794  and  Cain  in  1800.  Horsham 
Monthly  Meeting  was  established  in  1782, 
London  Grove  in  1792,  Medford  in  1793, 
Catawissa  in  1796  and  Chester  (N.  J.)  in 
1803.  While  in  the  score  of  years  preced- 
ing our  date,  the  particular  meetings  of  Wil- 
listown,  White  Clay,  Marlborough,  West 
Grove,  Fallowfield,  Cropwell,  Westfield, 
Columbia,  Loyal  Sock,  Berwick  and  Fishing 
Creek  were  set  up.  A  little  later  than  this 
Philadelphia  Monthly  Meeting,  set  off 
Twelfth  Street  to  the  west  and  Green  Street 
to  the  north.  It  was  also  a  time  of  consid- 
erable spiritual  interest.     During  the  latter 

[117] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

days  of  the  war  there  was  what  we  would 
now  call  a  revival.  The  common  sufferings 
of  Friends  had  drawn  them  together  and 
spiritual  life  was  strong.  A  number  of 
young  Friends,  who  had  lived  thoughtless 
and  some  of  them  loose  lives  in  young  man- 
hood, now  became  serious  Friends.  Among 
these  may  be  mentioned  Jonathan  Evans, 
Peter  Yarnall,  Nicholas  Wain,  the  leader  of 
the  Philadelphia  Bar,  William  Savery,  and 
Daniel  Offley.  All  of  these  were  to  become 
conspicuous  in  the  Society. 

The  year  under  consideration  is  probably 
about  the  time  of  maximum  numbers  in  the 
Yearly  Meeting.  Just  about  1800  there  be- 
gan a  considerable  migration  of  Friends  to 
western  Pennsylvania  and  eastern  Ohio. 
Whole  meetings,  sometimes  carrying  with 
them  their  Monthly  Meeting  organizations, 
would  pick  themselves  up  from  different 
parts  of  the  country  and  travel  westward. 
In  1820  it  was  estimated  that  20,000  Friends 
were  west  of  the  Alleghenies,  and  a  large 
proportion  of  them  had  gone  from  Philadel- 

[118] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

phia  Yearly  Meeting.  There  were  now  more 
than  1,000  Friends'  families  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia.  As  to  actual  numbers  in  the 
Yearly  Meeting,  it  is  difficult  to  give  an 
accurate  statement,  though  there  were  prob- 
ably between  30,000  and  40,000.  By  the 
time  of  the  separation,  twenty-three  years 
later,  the  number  of  the  two  bodies  was 
estimated  by  Thomas  Evans  and  Halliday 
Jackson  from  different  standpoints  as  about 
26,500.  In  this  year,  1804,  five  couples 
passed  meeting  at  North  Meeting  in  Phila- 
delphia in  one  day.  The  possibility  of  the 
catastrophe  of  the  separation  had  hardly 
dawned  upon  the  meeting,  and  with  a  large 
number  of  strong  men  directing  its  affairs 
and  a  continually  increasing  membership, 
which  even  a  rigid  administration  of  the  dis- 
cipline did  not  seriously  check,  with  a  feel- 
ing of  a  restoration  of  confidence  toward 
them  on  the  part  of  their  fellow-citizens,  and 
with  no  apologies  to  make  for  their  past  con- 
duct, one  can  readily  appreciate  that  the  year 
1804  saw  the  meeting  in  a  hopeful  and  a 

[119] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

generally  satisfactory  condition.  There 
were,  however,  causes  of  weakness.  One  of 
these  was  educational.  Westtown  school 
had  been  open  five  years  and  its  effects  had 
not  become  visible.  There  had  developed  as 
the  result  of  long  years  of  absence  of  higher 
training  a  strong  tendency  towards  a  dis- 
trust of  education.  It  came  partly  from  the 
views  held  concerning  the  ministry,  that 
human  learning  was  rather  a  detriment  than 
an  advantage.  They  were,  however,  saved 
from  some  of  the  evil  results  of  hereditary 
educational  limitations  by  the  character  of 
their  principles  that  led  them  out  into 
philanthropic  and  benevolent  work  in  a  way 
which  was  itself  educative  to  a  large  extent. 
We  find  at  this  time,  therefore,  that,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  Philadelphia  Friends 
whose  education  had  been  taken  care  of 
privately  and  whose  business  interests  kept 
them  wide  awake  and  liberal,  there  was  a 
condition  of  intellectual  mediocrity  prevalent 
throughout  the  meeting.  There  was  hardly 
an  adult  who  could  not  read  and  write ;  there 

[  120] 


SAMUEL  EMLEN,  SENIOR 

1730-1799 

From   the  original   pencil   sketch  in  the  possession  of 
Sarah  Emlen.     Never  before  published. 


to  «o»v 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

were  comparatively  few  who  were  scholars. 
Some,  like  Enoch  Lewis,  were,  by  sheer  force 
of  will  and  the  stimulation  of  their  own 
intellectual  perceptions,  pulling  themselves 
out  of  the  ranks  of  mediocrity,  and  scattered 
around  over  the  country  one  could  hear  of 
farmers  who  spent  their  nights  in  the  solu- 
tion of  mathematical  problems  or  in  reading 
the  classics.  But  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
any  openness  of  mind,  developed  in  this  way, 
gave  them  any  larger  place  when  it  came  to 
the  church  assemblies. 

Let  us  see  now  what  were  the  subjects 
which  were  agitating  the  Friends  in  this  year 
1804.  Westtown,  as  I  have  said,  had  just 
been  opened.  The  city  Friends  had  declared 
a  little  time  before  that,  as  they  had  paid 
most  of  the  money  for  an  institution  which 
country  Friends  would  more  particularly  use, 
they  proposed  that  the  recipients  of  the  bene- 
fits should  also  contribute  something,  and 
this  year  there  came  up  a  proposition  that 
inasmuch  as  Westtown  was  already  burdened 
with  a  debt  of  something  over  £3,000,   it 

[191] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

would  be  desirable  that  this  should  be  paid 
off  so  as  to  accommodate  the  family  at  the 
school  and  improve  the  farm.  Encouraging 
accounts  were  received  of  the  progress  of 
this  movement,  and  it  was  deemed  certain 
that  in  the  course  of  the  coming  year  the 
fund  would  be  completed.  Westtown  was 
beginning  to  justify  the  efforts  of  Friends 
by  the  quality  of  its  results,  and  it  was  being 
used  to  prepare  laborers  for  their  fields. 

Philadelphia  had  charge  of  a  number  of 
Friends  in  upper  Canada,  north  of  Lake  On- 
tario. They  were  suffering  from  some  leg- 
islation, requiring  of  them  oaths,  which  pre- 
vented them  from  taking  complete  title  to 
their  property,  except  by  violating  Friendly 
convictions,  and  they  were  anxious  that 
Philadelphia  Friends  should  get  the  matter 
remedied.  This  they  succeeded  in  doing, 
and,  moreover,  in  order  to  prevent  the 
Canada  Friends  from  falling  into  undue 
ignorance,  they  received  a  proposition  this 
year  from  two  young  men,  who  proposed  to 
fit  themselves  to  go  there  as  teachers,  if  the 

[  122  ] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 


Meetings  for  Sufferings  would  pay  their 
Westtown  bills.  This  was  heartily  agreed 
to.  Yonge  Street  Quarterly  Meeting  in 
Canada  was  this  year  set  up. 

The  slave  question  was  not  entirely  set- 
tled   even    among    Friends.     The    annual 
query  is  answered  as  follows :  "One  meeting 
mentions  that  there  are  a  few  cases  of  mem- 
bers   holding    slaves,    particularly    circum- 
stanced,  and  another  that  several   Friends 
had  purchased  slaves  for  a  term  of  years, 
all  of  which  are  under  care.     Those  black 
people  who  live  among  Friends  appear  to  be 
kindly  treated  and  some  endeavors  used  for 
their  encouragement  in  a  religious  and  vir- 
tuous life."     A  committee  was  appointed  to 
go    down    to    Annapolis    and    remonstrate 
against     certain     legislation     against     the 
"grievously    injured    black    people."     The 
Meeting  for  Sufferings  is  encouraged  by  the 
Yearly  Meeting  as  follows :  "The  injuries 
and  cruelties  which  the  black  people  in  many 
parts  are  exposed  to  and  have  to  bear  in 
much  depression  and  sorrow,  afresh  exciting 

[123] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

painful  sympathy  in  many  minds,  it  is  desired 
that  the  Meeting  for  Sufferings  may 
weightily  recur  to  the  subject  and  as  open- 
ings for  service  in  this  interesting  concern 
present,  endeavor  through  the  persuasive 
energy  of  divine  love  to  advocate  the  cause 
of  the  oppressed,  holding  forth  to  the  under- 
standing of  those  who  are  immediately  or 
remotely  engaged  herein,  that  our  efforts  for 
the  promotion  of  universal  righteousness  are 
dictated  by  that  benign  spirit  which  seeks 
the  essential  good  of  all." 

Nor  were  they  quite  through  with  their 
sufferings  due  to  their  peace  principles. 
Militia  laws  were  still  troublesome  and  dis- 
traints of  goods,  while  not  as  excessive  as 
in  the  years  immediately  following  the  war, 
were  considerable.  Something  like  £2,000 
had  been  taken  from  Friends  by  distraints 
for  warlike  purposes  during  the  three  or  four 
years  prior  to  this  date,  and  a  committee 
was  sent  this  year  to  Lancaster,  then  the 
capital  of  Pennsylvania,  protesting  against 
the  laws  which  produced  these  results. 

[  124] 


ISRAEL  W.  M'ORRIS 
1778-1870 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 


About  this  time  the  English  Friends,  and 
the  English  people  in  general,  were  suffering 
from  poverty.  The  Americans  were  pros- 
perous and  took  up  a  collection,  which  was 
called  the  "American  Fund,"  for  their  relief. 
George  Stacey  acknowledged  the  receipt  of 
£8,326,  of  which  Philadelphia  furnished 
£5,798.  He  distributed  this  amount  among 
810  Friends  and  420  others,  and  sent  his 
thanks  as  follows:  "While  contemplating 
with  comfort  the  assistance  that  has  been 
yielded,  it  considers  it  but  just  to  our 
American  brethren  warmly  to  acknowledge 
their  benevolence  and  sympathy,  and  to  add 
that  the  cases  which  have  been  brought  to 
view,  and  the  gratitude  and  thankfulness 
which  have  been  expressed,  abundantly 
evince  the  importance  of  the  aid  which  has 
been  administered." 

Another  matter  of  interest  in  history  came 
to  a  head  in  this  year  1804.  Very  soon  after 
the  settlement  of  Province,  Caleb  Pusey  un- 
dertook a  collection  of  letters  and  documents 
to  be  used  in  writing  a  history  of  the  Quaker 

[125] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

experiment.  He  pased  it  on  to  Isaac  Nor- 
ris  and  he  in  turn  to  several  other  Friends, 
until  it  came  to  John  Kinsey  in  1747.  He 
was  clerk  of  the  Yearly  Meeting  and  was 
appointed  officially  to  write  the  history.  He 
died  three  years  later,  and  others  worked  on 
it  in  a  desultory  sort  of  way  until  1771,  when 
it  was  turned  over  to  Robert  Proud,  head- 
master of  the  school,  now  the  Penn  Charter 
School.  Proud  got  it  into  shape,  and  in 
1785  it  was  inspected  by  a  committee.  For 
some  reason  they  did  not  warmly  approve 
of  it,  and  refused  to  acknowledge  it  as  a 
Yearly  Meeting  matter,  though,  at  the  same 
time,  they  encouraged  him  to  print  it  as  his 
own  production.  This  was  done  and  every- 
one is  now  glad  to  recognize  it  as  the  best 
history  of  the  times.  The  unfortunate 
author,  who  considered  that  he  was  working 
all  the  time  for  the  Yearly  Meeting,  lost  his 
time  and  considerable  money,  for  without 
official  sanction  the  sales  were  not  very  large. 
Now  the  matter  came  up.  The  Meeting 
for  Sufferings  felt  that  he  had  a  claim  upon 

[126] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

them  and  ordered  the  payment  of  $500,  which 
was  approved,  and  he  to  that  extent  reim- 
bursed. It  was  a  tardy  acknowledgment 
in  the  author's  old  age,  which  should  have 
been  extended  to  him  twenty  years  earlier. 
Friends  were  slow  to  come  over  from  pounds 
to  dollars,  and  while  both  were  in  use  in  this 
transition  period,  the  old  standards  were  still 
most  commonly  employed. 

Friends  on  the  continent  of  Europe  were 
also  to  be  provided  for.  Chamless  Wharton 
had  just  left  a  legacy  for  meeting-houses 
and  other  expenses  of  Friends  in  France  and 
Germany.  An  opening  appeared  just  at  this 
time  in  Pyrmont,  in  Germany,  where  a  num- 
ber of  Friends  were  located,  and  £1,200  was 
sent  to  them.  French  editions  of  Perm's 
"Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Society  of 
Friends"  and  Mary  Brooks's  "Silent  Wor- 
ship" were  issued  to  aid  the  movement. 

To  show  where  they  were  on  the  liquor 
question,  the  answer  to  the  query  for  1804  is 
given:  "The  subject  of  distilled  spirituous 
liquors  has  afresh  claimed  the  weighty  at- 

[  127  ] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

tention  and  care  of  the  respective  Quarterly 
Meetings.  It  appears  there  are  89  members 
who  retail  or  trade  in  this  article,  and  who 
either  distill  it  or  rent  their  stills  for  that 
purpose.  Some  have  had  their  cider  distilled 
and  divers  use  ardent  spirits  at  the  time  of 
hay  and  harvest."  While  this  sounds  seri- 
ous, it  is  doubtful  whether,  as  compared  with 
the  rest  of  the  community,  much  substantial 
progress  has  been  made  among  Friends. 

This,  too,  was  the  time  when  the  Indian 
movement  in  western  New  York  was  started. 
The  Yearly  Meeting  had  just  ordered  the 
purchase  of  the  Tunesassa  tract  and  the 
gradual  improvement  of  the  Indian  natives 
began  to  work.  We  are  celebrating  the  cen- 
tennial of  this  institution  as  well  as  of  Arch 
Street  meeting-house. 

Then  it  was  one  of  the  occasions  also,  when 
the  discipline  was  being  revised.  A  careful 
examination  might  show  the  purport  of  the 
changes  made.  I  do  not  believe  they  were 
serious  or  important,  for  among  Friends  it 
was  not  a  revolutionary  time.     Prior  to  this 

[128] 


ROBERT  PROUD 

1728-1813 


pur] 


■ 

: 


■ 

A  Centennial  Celebration. 

Friends  were  accustomed  to  report  as  to  their 
success  in  making  converts  among  the  out- 
side bodies.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
even  in  the  midst  of  the  Revolutionary  War 
in  1780  they  could  state  "that  divers  persons, 
of  sober  conduct,  professing  to  be  convinced 
of  our  religious  principles,  have,  on  their  ap- 
plication, been  received  into  membership." 
No  statement,  however,  appears  in  1804. 
Whether  the  answers  were  discouraging,  or 
whether  additions  to  membership  had  come 
to  be  considered  as  of  little  moment,  I  do 
not  know. 

The  Yearly  Meeting  of  1804  was  held  in 
the  Fourth  month,  from  the  16th  to  the  20th, 
inclusive.  The  previous  decade  had  been  the 
occasion  of  the  visitations  of  the  dreaded 
scourge,  the  yellow  fever,  to  Philadelphia. 
It  was  at  its  worst  in  the  late  summer  and 
early  autumn,  and  just  at  this  time  was  the 
historic  date  for  the  holding  of  the  Yearly 
Meeting.  With  unfaltering  regularity  the 
Friends  attended,  and  Warner  Mifflin,  Daniel 
Offley    and    many    others    fell    victims    to 

9  [129] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

their  devotion.  But  the  sacrifice  seemed  un- 
necessary and  unjustifiable,  and  the  date  had 
been  changed  to  the  spring,  by  the  rule  which 
still  governs  it. 

While  we  are  on  the  subject  of  changing 
dates,  it  may  be  pertinent  to  suggest  that 
two  weeks  earlier  would  be  a  more  conve- 
nient time  for  some  of  the  schools  within 
our  body,  which  desire  to  honor  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  Yearly  Meeting  by  a  vacation, 
as  well  also  for  that  considerable,  but  unfor- 
tunately diminishing,  class  of  members  who 
earn  their  living  by  tilling  the  soil. 

In  1804,  with  a  certain  historic  propriety, 
as  if  anticipating  the  inspiration  of  the  pres- 
ent occasion,  Jonathan  Evans  was  clerk. 
There  were  two  sessions  daily,  and  the  busi- 
ness was  transacted  with  probably  as  much 
promptitude  and  as  little  loss  of  time  as  at 
present. 

It  would  be  a  matter  of  great  interest  if 
we  could  reproduce  the  physical  appearance, 
and,  still  more,  the  spirit  of  this  occasion. 
We   may   assume   that   the   meeting-houses 

[  130] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

were  full  of  Friends  and  that  the  peculiari- 
ties of  garb  were  much  more  conspicuous 
than  at  present.  About  2,000  of  each  sex 
attended  Yearly  Meeting  in  those  days.  "In 
this  our  large  and  solemn  gathering,"  they 
wrote  the  year  before,  "we  have  the  accept- 
able company  of  brethren  from  all  the  Yearly 
Meetings  on  this  continent  but  one,  and  an 
evident  increase  of  weight  in  our  delibera- 
tions has  been  experienced."  The  coun- 
try Friends,  who  then  constituted  the  great 
bulk  of  the  Yearly  Meeting,  had  driven  in 
from  their  farms,  in  their  homespun,  home- 
made garments,  without  any  suggestion  of 
sartorial  fit.  The  better  dressed,  but  still 
plain  and  peculiar  city  Friends  were  scat- 
tered among  them  with  democratic  sim- 
plicity. 

One  can  gather  a  few  facts  about  some 
of  the  leaders.  James  Pemberton,  now  an 
old  man  in  his  eighties,  whose  brother  Israel 
had  been  called  in  his  time  "the  king  of  the 
Quakers,"  and  who,  if  anyone,  had  succeeded 
to    the    inheritance,    had    had    a    most    in- 

[131] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

teresting  career.  He  began  his  public  ex- 
perience while  still  in  his  twenties  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  legislature  of  colonial  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  became  a  leader  there,  always 
advocating  the  strongest  Quaker  measures, 
and  in  1756,  when  the  French  and  Indian 
War  was  declared,  he,  with  the  best  Friends 
resigned,  and  then,  for  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  the  colony,  broke  the  Quaker 
majority.  His  instinct  for  public  life  could 
not,  however,  be  quelled.  A  few  years  later 
we  find  him  back  again,  doing  the  old  work. 
When  the  Revolution  came  on,  he  was  one 
of  the  exiles  to  Virginia  with  his  two 
brothers,  and  his  political  career  was  ended. 
The  energy  and  resources  which  had  hith- 
erto been  expended  in  politics,  now  went  to 
philanthropy  and  education.  As  a  director 
of  the  Friends'  Public  School,  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Hospital  and  practically  all  other 
benevolent  institutions  in  Philadelphia,  he 
did  his  work  for  his  native  city.  In  1790, 
on  the  death  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  he  suc- 
ceeded him  as  president  of  the  Pennsylvania 

[  132] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

Abolition  Society,  the  most  active  of  aboli- 
tion societies  which  memorialized  Congress 
most  frequently  and  effectively,  and  stirred 
up  the  southern  blood  most  bitterly.  He  was 
active  in  the  establishment  of  Westtown, 
and  to  him  John  Dickinson  appealed  in  his 
endeavor  to  show  the  Society  of  Friends 
that  religion  and  education  were  not  incom- 
patible. And  now,  in  his  declining  days,  full 
of  years  and  honors,  he  maintained  a  clear 
head  and  a  liberal  policy  toward  oncoming 
questions. 

Thomas  Scattergood  had  just  returned 
from  England,  where  he  had  been  studying 
the  conditions  at  Ackworth  School.  He  had 
spent  weeks  there  and  had  written  out  in 
careful  detail  every  item  of  management, 
so  that  Westtown  under  his  influence  had 
become,  to  a  very  large  extent,  a  copy  of 
Ackworth,  and  even  down  as  late  as  the 
time  when  I  was  a  boy  there,  certain  Ack- 
worth customs,  impressed  by  Thomas  Scat- 
tergood, were  still  in  existence. 

Nicholas  Wain  had  just  deceased.     His 

[  i33] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

had  been  a  most  interesting  career.  Schol- 
arly and  eloquent,  he  had  worked  his  way 
up  to  a  position  of  leadership  and  great  re- 
muneration at  the  Philadelphia  Bar.  Sud- 
denly the  brilliant  lawyer  was  found  on  his 
knees  in  a  quiet  meeting  uttering  the  prayer 
which  is  still  on  record  and  which  Dr.  Weir 
Mitchell  has  placed,  in  a  somewhat  garbled 
form,  in  the  mouth  of  the  mythical  Israel 
Sharpless.  He  closed  out  his  practice  and 
gave  himself  up  to  the  work  of  religion  and 
philanthropy.  His  talents  were  given  freely 
to  the  service  of  the  Society.  As  clerk  of 
the  Yearly  Meeting  during  the  Revolution- 
ary War  he  had  a  difficult  part  to  perform. 
He  could  never  get  over  his  propensity  for 
joking,  and  no  doubt  truthfully  declared, 
when  some  serious  Friend  protested,  that  he 
had  overcome  more  temptations  in  that  line 
than  his  protestor  had  ever  felt.  No  other 
Friend  has  left  such  a  fund  of  good  stories, 
told  in  a  quaint  way. 

Another  interesting  character  of  the  time 
was   Peter  Yarnall.     He,   too,   lived  a  gay 

[i34] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

and  careless  life.  One  of  his  diversions  was 
to  mimic,  in  a  ribald  manner,  to  his  gay  as- 
sociates, the  ministry  of  his  father.  Having 
studied  medicine,  he  went  as  a  surgeon  on  a 
privateer  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 
He  returned  after  a  successful  voyage  with 
a  share  of  the  spoils  accorded  to  him.  But 
he,  too,  was  overtaken  by  a  sudden  convic- 
tion and  made  a  radical  transformation, 
which  things  seem  to  have  been  more  fre- 
quent in  those  days  than  now,  into  a  con- 
sistent Friend  and  effective  minister.  Dur- 
ing all  the  rest  of  his  life  he  tried  vainly 
to  find  the  owners  of  the  goods  he  had  se- 
cured as  a  privateer,  and  in  making  his  will 
he  left  the  money  to  trustees  with  instruc- 
tions to  continue  the  search,  and,  if  unsuc- 
cessful, to  apply  the  money  to  something  as 
much  in  accordance  with  the  original  own- 
ership as  they  could  devise.  I  do  not  know 
what  they  did  with  it,  but  his  will,  as  George 
Canby  has  recently  ascertained,  is  on  file  in 
the  City  Hall. 

The  clerk,  Jonathan  Evans,  was  then  45 

[i35] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

years  old,  in  the  midst  of  the  greatest  vigor 
of  a  very  vigorous  life.  His  early  life  also 
had  been  thoughtless  and  had  been  brought 
into  Quaker  lines  by  reading  William  Penn's 
"No  Cross,  No  Crown."  The  force  and 
honesty  of  the  man  brought  him  into  promi- 
nence and  he  was  now  leading  the  yearly 
meeting  in  its  representative  position.  Wil- 
liam J.  Allinson  says  of  him,  after  he  had 
served  out  his  time  as  clerk  of  the  Yearly 
Meeting,  "when  Jonathan  Evans  speaks,  and 
he  is  not  lavish  of  his  speeches,  the  clerk  may 
certainly  make  a  minute,  for  the  question  is 
settled ;  Jonathan  is  not  mistaken."  He  was 
to  live  thirty-five  years  longer  and  to  exer- 
cise a  most  potent  influence  upon  the  life  of 
the  meeting,  which  influence  was  transmitted 
to  the  most  remarkable  line  of  Friendly  min- 
isters which  our  Pennsylvania  history  has 
ever  seen  in  one  family. 

Many  other  men  of  like  strong  and  posi- 
tive convictions  could  be  mentioned,  but  it 
is  impossible  to  complete  the  list.  A  recent 
writer  has  said  that  this  is  the  day  of  weak 

[13M 


THOMAS  SCATTERGOOD 
1748-1814 


eet  Meeting- i . 
Th 


.  \  j  ■  .  .-  . 

He 

■ 


■ 


ft 


A  Centennial  Celebration, 


convictions.  And  she  illustrated  it  with  the 
statement  that  she  had  just  been  hearing  a 
man  express  very  positive  views,  entirely 
diverse  from  hers.  "Here,"  she  thought,  "is 
the  man  that  I  want."  So  with  all  her  elo- 
quence she  expounded  her  opposing  state- 
ments in,  as  she  thought,  a  convincing  and 
positive  manner.  Much  to  her  disgust,  in- 
stead of  continuing  to  argue  for  his  beliefs, 
he  quietly  remarked,  "Well,  there  is  much  to 
be  said  in  favor  of  that  way  of  looking  at 
the  question  also."  Such  were  not  these 
ancient  Friends.  There  was  no  latitudinar- 
ianism  about  their  beliefs.  They  were  sure 
of  their  ground  and  equally  sure  that  the 
opposing  ground  was  false,  and  so  led  the 
Yearly  Meeting  in  strong  and  positive  ways. 
These  were  the  leaders,  but  what  of  the 
rank  and  file?  This  is  a  question  which  it 
is  difficult  to  answer  from  historical  data. 
There  is  surprisingly  little  in  print  to  tell  of 
the  general  quality  of  our  ancestors  one  hun- 
dred years  back.  My  own  impression  is, 
however,  from  answers  to  queries  and  from 

[i37] 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

the  few  journals  of  Friends  which  make 
indirect  references  to  this  sort  of  thing,  that 
while  there  were  many  sober  and  serious 
people  the  general  life  of  Friends  in  this  day 
is  vastly  better  than  it  was  then ;  that  in  the 
cities  there  was  a  gaity  and  indulgence  in 
doubtful  pleasures  to  a  larger  extent  than  at 
present,  and  that  among  the  country  Friends 
there  was  a  coarse  and  careless  attitude 
which  we  never  see.  William  Forster,  who 
travelled  through  the  country  a  little  later, 
says  of  one  of  these  country  districts,  "the 
appearance  of  the  young  people,  as  in  many 
other  places,  was  discouraging."  Such  a 
statement  may  indicate  much  or  lutle.  It 
was  not  from  lack  of  ministry.  With  regard 
to  another  meeting,  he  makes  the  remark, 
"they  have  no  minister  among  them,  a  rare 
thing  in  this  country."  I  should  think  that 
any  facts  bearing  on  the  moral  and  social 
conditions  of  Friends  in  their  private  capac- 
ity, from  the  time  of  the  Revolution  down 
to  the  memory  of  those  now  living,  should 
be  treasured  up,   and  the  history  of  these 

[138] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

times  written  with  more  care  than  has  ever 
been  attempted.  In  the  matter  of  Bible 
reading,  there  was  evidently  great  remiss- 
ness. The  concerned  Friends  knew  the 
Bible  well,  but  among  the  others  it  was  much 
neglected.  Some  applied  to  it  the  same  rule 
which  they  applied  to  preaching,  that  it 
should  not  be  read  unless  there  was  an  im- 
mediate drawing  of  the  spirit  to  perform  the 
service  at  the  time,  and  under  such  a  theory 
they  would  pass  weeks  or  months  without 
opening  the  book.  William  Forster  tried  to 
encourage  more  frequent  reading.  He 
wished  them  to  collect  their  families  at  least 
on  First-day,  but  he  says,  "I  fear  that  even 
so  much  as  this  is  not  so  common  a  practice 
as  might  be  desired."  The  growth  of  care- 
lessness, the  result  of  abounding  prosperity, 
of  lack  of  intellectual  and  religious  educa- 
tion, and  the  beginning  of  a  teaching  due 
to  a  distorted  view  of  a  fundamental  doc- 
trine of  early  Quakerism,  were  having  their 
unhappy  effects  upon  the  masses  of  the 
Society. 

[  i39  1 


Arch  Street  Meeting-House. 

Rebecca  Jones,  writing  in  1796  to  an  Eng- 
lish friend,  says,  "I  expect  thou  hast  accounts 
of  our  great  works  which  are  in  contempla- 
tion; such  as  attempting  to  civilize  the  in- 
habitants of  the  wilderness;  and  to  establish 
a  boarding  school  after  the  manner  of  your 
Ackworth;  build  a  large  meeting-house 
(after  your  example)  to  accommodate  both 
sexes  at  the  Yearly  Meeting;  admit  black 
people  into  Society  membership,  etc.,  etc." 

The  time  under  consideration  seems  to  me 
to  be  a  kind  of  watershed  in  the  history  of 
the  Yearly  Meeting.  For  twenty  years  pre- 
viously it  had  been  growing  in  numbers  and 
in  the  strength  of  its  strongest  men  and 
women.  From  that  time  forward  it  became 
weakened  by  dissensions  and  emigrations. 
Our  friends  could  not  see  into  the  future, 
and,  with  a  fatalism  which  has  not  been  un- 
common in  our  Society,  they  were  often 
inclined  to  trust  that  a  good  spirit  would 
deliver  them  from  the  evils  to  come,  and 
which  some  of  them  foresaw  as  of  the  size 
of  a  man's  hand  on  the  horizon.     But  to 

[  140  ] 


A  Centennial  Celebration. 

most  of  them  the  outlook  was  strong  and 
cheerful,  and  on  this  year  of  last  century,  the 
thirty  thousand  or  more  of  Friends  which 
constituted  our  Yearly  Meeting,  were  carry- 
ing through  their  business  and  farm  opera- 
tions, attending  their  semi-weekly  meetings, 
and  going  to  their  religious  appointments 
with  a  satisfaction  born  of  a  large  assurance 
of  rectitude  of  principle  and  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  sheltering  care  and  blessing  of 
their  heavenly  Father. 


[141] 


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